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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24439738">The Breach</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/landminecat/pseuds/landminecat'>landminecat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>NOVA [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Tom Clancy's The Division</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Black Tusk, Conspiracy Theories, Division Agents, Enemies to Friends, Fix-It, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Torture, Multi, Panic Attacks, Politics, Rogue Agents, Slow Burn, Spoilers, Switching Sides, Technobabble, Trust Issues, Warlords of New York, beacause we all have ideas on what we wanted to change or explore in the main storyline, lore heavy, shadow organizations, slight AU, some might actually have a good reason to go rogue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:08:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>64,229</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24439738</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/landminecat/pseuds/landminecat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As more and more corruption is shown in the Division and general SHD ranks, a few agents decide to get to the bottom of things and understand what's going on. What they don't know yet is that their actions will affect the Division as a whole, including their friends, loved ones and people they once called family.</p><p>Focusing on characters introduced in Warlords of New York and agents created by my clan members.</p><p>Alternatively, my take on why the rogue network's AI Theo Parnell designed for Keener is named ANNA.</p><p>EDIT: This work is now COMPLETE! Thank you guys for sticking with me throughout this journey. I simply loved working on this. I'm going to take some time off now but ultimately I plan to come back to this with a continuation!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Dragov &amp; Original Female Character, James Dragov &amp; Original Male Character, Javier Kajika &amp; Original Male Character, Original Male Character &amp; Original Female Character, Paul Rhodes &amp; Original Female Character, Theo Parnell/Original Female Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>NOVA [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1873543</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Cardboard Houses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So I came up with an idea to write a story including the agents created by my clan members and showing my views and ideas on the universe of Tom Clancy's The Division. This is written just for fun and to explore the universe of The Division 2 more thoroughly. I hope you're going to like it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">The wind was far too strong for this time of the year and it was hard for Anna to make her way through the streets. It wasn’t just the wind though; rain kept falling down heavily, making it almost impossible to see further than one’s extended arm would reach. Not perfect for travel, but perfect for a secret meeting in the rather dangerous streets of New York.</p><p class="p1">Anna secured the scarf around her neck to make sure there was no space for any stray drops of water and continued moving against the building, very cautious about her surroundings. What she was planning to do was extremely dangerous and some would probably even call it reckless, but she was tired of sitting still and eating everything up like some agents did. She needed answers and she would stop at nothing to get them. Hence this late night excursion and this very secret meeting. It wasn’t easy to make sure that she wasn’t being followed and that nobody noticed her leave Haven, but the message was clear. She needed to come alone. After the data she was presented with there was no way she would pass up on such an opportunity. So she had to make up an entirely false excursion for some necessary materials and assign ghost agents to the cause. She was hoping it would really be worth all this trouble.</p><p class="p1">It wasn’t easy to get to the point of all this, to decrypt all the messages and force ISAC into a loop long enough for her to be able to extract what she needed and what <em>he told her to see for herself</em>, but it was definitely worth it. She became suspicious after what happened to her <em>friends</em>, agents of the infamous First Wave, but <em>this </em>was an entirely different story. This was something that could bring SHD down and something that she didn’t know what to do with. So when <em>he </em>found her and reached out to her, she didn’t shut him off even though she probably should have. She set up a secure channel encrypted with a multitude of different keys that would leave no trail behind them and that would allow for safe transfer of information. It was a challenge to decode everything he sent her way but the more she read into it the more certain she became. She needed to know more, she needed answers. So they decided to meet. There was a device he wanted to show her that could only be delivered in person. Of course she said yes. It wasn’t going to be easy but it felt like something she really needed to do. She owed it to her dead friends, she owed it to the country and most importantly she owed it to herself.</p><p class="p1">She finally approached the Coenties Slip Park (or what was left of it), almost at the destination they set up for their meeting. Before she made the final push through the park and up the building though she sent the seeker mines to scout the area. It was Rikers territory after all and there was technically still a possibility that she was being followed. He told her that he would help her as much as possible on his end. Apparently he was a master of deception. At least in his own words.</p><p class="p1">The mines returned to her undisturbed and she decided to slip between the buildings to climb the staircase marked with a digital key that could only be read by ISAC. They have been setting this meeting up for about a week to make sure it was as safe as possible. Of course something could always go wrong but it was a risk they were willing to take. Especially since apparently there was something he couldn’t figure out by himself and needed her help with. If what he said was anything to go by, it might just be the proof she was looking for.</p><p class="p1">When Anna finally climbed the rooftop she could immediately see the graffiti that was supposed to be her clue. She turned a little to find a closed storage door marked with the same digital key. As soon as ISAC was able to unlock it she stepped inside and was immediately welcomed with a gun pressed against her chest.</p><p class="p1">„Password,” a quiet and determined voice came somewhere from the darkness.</p><p class="p1">„Cardboard houses,” she breathed out immediately, her breath hitching with surprise. „Jesus, was that really necessary?”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah, it was. Sorry. Good to see you made it though.”</p><p class="p1">She knew Theo Parnell was three years younger than her, but it was hard to determine his age by his looks alone. She couldn’t see his face due to a bandana he was wearing, but she didn’t miss the curious and a little playful glint in his eyes hiding behind full frame glasses.</p><p class="p1">„I did. It was actually pretty easy. Almost suspiciously so.”</p><p class="p1">He used his watch to close the door and took off his bandana, sitting down on one of the crates. Anna followed his lead and looked around the room. It was more of a storage space than an actual room, filled with boxes, crates and unused Christmas decorations that would be placed somewhere on the roof under different circumstances. A giant snowman, a few sets of lights, a tree. Nothing special. But nothing special was good. It usually meant <em>safe</em>.</p><p class="p1">„So yeah. It’s good to finally meet you in person,” he spoke after a while, making himself comfortable on the crate and rummaging through his backpack. „I really need you to look at something. I tried every single trick in the book to get it to work but there’s no way to get it running. I figured maybe you could help since you’re more knowledgeable with SHD tech.”</p><p class="p1">Sitting down right next to him Anna reached for the device he was holding in his hand. It was a box. Similar to what could be found in recon robots but a little smaller, roughly the size of a soda can. Maybe from a drone? Or a firefly? She brought it closer to her eyes and started surveying all the details.</p><p class="p1">„No part number,” she said after a while. „So we don’t know what device it belonged to.”</p><p class="p1">„Unfortunately. I was thinking, maybe one of the Black Tusk robots if not SHD?”</p><p class="p1">„Where did you get it?”</p><p class="p1">„I, uh… found it in Aaron Keener’s hideout. He couldn’t get it to work either. So I took it to run some further tests. Unfortunately I’m afraid that if I force it open it’s going to self-destruct.”</p><p class="p1">„You took this from <em>Keener?</em>”</p><p class="p1">„I mean, I didn’t <em>take </em>it. He gave it to me.”</p><p class="p1">„That’s even <em>worse</em>,” Anna suddenly felt a spike of panic rising somewhere in her chest. „I don’t want to be involved with him. I thought you had something that could <em>prove</em> what the Division was really up to. That’s fine by me, but I don’t want to have anything to do with Keener. Damn, I should have been smarter about this!”</p><p class="p1">„Hey,” Theo moved his hands up in a reassuring gesture to try and calm her down. „I don’t want to be involved with Keener either, okay? But there are not many options once you have been marked as rogue. As soon as he reaches out to you, you’re either with him or hunted by him. It’s… there’s not much choice there I’m afraid. I might be helping him with a few things, but it’s not like I could’ve just said no. But the rest is just me. And since I’m already in the network, might as well use it, right?”</p><p class="p1">She sighed. On one hand, he was right. On the other, having Keener involved did complicate things.</p><p class="p1">„Right. Okay. Just… just tell me what you think it is then.”</p><p class="p1">„If my assumptions are correct,” he reached out and took the box from her, moving it a little higher to place it under the weak light coming from the ceiling light bulb, „It’s a standard black box fitted with audio and maybe even video recording. Keener said it was found in Tribeca some time after the Rikers went in. If it’s really Tribeca then it could prove the levels of corruption in the Division, hell, in SHD as a whole. Of course we would have to see what it has recorded and how much of it, but the potential is worth the risk, I think.”</p><p class="p1">Anna took the box back and started looking at it again. It would be easy to open using her workbench at Haven, but other than that Theo was right. If it was standard SHD tech it could easily self destruct.</p><p class="p1">„You think I could take that with me? I could use my stuff at Haven to open it safely. And to run some tests.”</p><p class="p1">„Sure. But I will need it back at some point. Not that I don’t trust you- no, wait, I don’t <em>really</em> trust you, I don’t really <em>know you</em>- but it’s the best option we have right now if we want to get to the bottom of this.”</p><p class="p1">She snorted, putting the box into her own backpack and taking out a bottle of water.</p><p class="p1">„Well I don’t trust you either and yet here we are.”</p><p class="p1">„It’s not like I could just turn to anyone with this. I was trying to track you down ever since I… learned what happened to your friends and saw you going through stuff in ISAC databases. I’m sorry about your friends by the way. I was a First Wave agent as well and I remember all the shit that hit the fan in the Quarantine Zone.”</p><p class="p1">„It’s been a long time. But there's… one thing that kept bugging me ever since.”</p><p class="p1">„And that is?”</p><p class="p1">Anna took a sip of water and turned to Theo, looking him straight in the eyes.</p><p class="p1">„I came back after that, you know. I may not be a regular agent myself, but even after how the Division fucked my friends over I was still there to help for the greater good. But the recent events were the final straw. They’re good at hiding their shit. Luckily I’m even better at finding it. And I won’t stop until I understand just how deep the Division sits in the government’s pockets.”</p><p class="p1">Theo laughed at that, but it was an endearing laugh.</p><p class="p1">„Trust me, I know what you mean. I basically managed to confirm that it was SHD and that fucker Ellis who killed my dad.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh yeah, I heard about that. I thought he died of a heart attack?”</p><p class="p1">„Oh, that was a good one. And the missing autopsy report. And the cremated body. I mean, that’s textbook bullshit. I never trusted a thing they said after that.”</p><p class="p1">„I’m sorry to hear that too. About your father.”</p><p class="p1">„Thank you.”</p><p class="p1">They sat in silence for a while until Anna finished her bottle of water. She stood up then and put her backpack back on, ready to leave. Theo stood up as well.</p><p class="p1">„I’ll get back to you as soon as I learn anything,” she said, adjusting her scarf again. „I should be able to get into it later this week. Most of the people at Haven have no idea what I’m doing anyway so they won’t be asking any questions.”</p><p class="p1">Theo laughed again, putting his bandana back on.</p><p class="p1">„It was the same with me. Nobody ever questioned my expertise because they didn’t know how. So they just let me be while I installed backdoors into every single system they used for data storage and communication.”</p><p class="p1">„So it was <em>you</em> I had to clean up after?”</p><p class="p1">„I guess. Sorry?”</p><p class="p1">They both laughed at that and Anna couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe they could have become friends if they met under different circumstances, in a different place or in a less crazy time. It was an uncommon, but rather pleasant feeling.</p><p class="p1">„Apology accepted. Now let’s get out of here.”</p><p class="p1">With that, Anna used her watch to open the door and they stepped back out into the storm.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">Blaze was bored out of his mind, sitting on a rooftop with his signature marksman rifle ready to take a shot. The task assigned to him seemed almost too easy to be true. A secret meeting taking place. A rogue agent meeting someone. He didn’t know who the other person was, but what he did know was that he would go a long way to get any of Keener’s accomplices. So he waited and waited until he finally saw the other person exit a storage room on one of the rooftops.</p><p class="p1">„Identification impossible,” ISAC’s voice rang in his ear, a little distracting, but always surprisingly welcome during solo missions. „I repeat, identification impossible.”</p><p class="p1">„Who the fuck are you?”, Blaze spoke quietly to himself using the scope of his gun to take a look at said individual. Unfortunately he couldn’t determine anything other that the fact that it was a woman. „Get out of my way.”</p><p class="p1">With the current angle the rogue agent was obscured by the woman. Was she an accomplice? Or was this a hostage situation? No, she didn’t look like she was taken hostage. It was obviously a consensual meeting. Suddenly the lack of identification on the woman made him a little anxious. What if it was another person in the network they were not yet able to identify? Why would they meet here of all places? Why would they meet <em>at all</em>?</p><p class="p1">Using the scope to mark his target again Blaze cursed under his breath. He could send out a surveillance drone to take a shot at identification, but there was a high chance that it would alert them to his presence. If the target was indeed Theo Parnell he had to be careful about using any kind of technology around him.</p><p class="p1">He could also aim at him and shoot them both in the process, but he would never do anything to have an innocent’s blood on his hands. Innocent until proven guilty. Even if said woman was part of the rogue network as well, as long as he wasn’t able to prove it there was no way he would just take a shot. So he waited and waited until Theo Parnell was in his scope again. If only they lined up correctly so that he could shoot her arm and get his head. Or his heart. She was shorter than him and with this distance it could have actually worked. It wouldn’t kill her but it would kill <em>him</em>. That was an option, but only if all else fails.</p><p class="p1">Focused on the target Blaze almost didn’t feel the ice cold wind, even more prominent on the rooftop. He did actually <em>feel </em>cold, he just chose not to react to it. He will when he gets back to the base and takes a warm shower, but now it was just a distraction he has long learned to ignore. So he just sat there and waited for a clear shot.</p><p class="p1">Suddenly both of the targets ducked, obscured from his view by a wall on the rooftop.</p><p class="p1"><em>Shit. </em>Did they see him? Did they maybe notice his scope somehow? Or maybe they had a scouting drone or whatever themselves and he just didn’t notice because of the howling wind?</p><p class="p1">Looking around carefully he actually noticed it. A recon drone. Several feet behind him.</p><p class="p1">„ISAC,” he said loudly, taking out his sidearm to shoot at the drone, luckily getting it on the first try. „What the fuck was this drone doing behind me? Why didn’t you warn me?!”</p><p class="p1">„Unknown,” came a reply from ISAC.</p><p class="p1">„Thanks, you’re a great help as always.”</p><p class="p1">„Unknown.”</p><p class="p1">„Get me Kelso and stop getting on my nerves.”</p><p class="p1">Blaze moved behind the wall as well, shielding himself from any possible assault. Kelso was quick to answer the call.</p><p class="p1">„Is everything alright, agent?”</p><p class="p1">„No. I have no identification on the person he’s meeting with. They set up a drone that found me and wasn’t picked up by ISAC. I suggest you send reinforcements from a nearby control point, this might get ugly.”</p><p class="p1">„So they know you’re there.”</p><p class="p1">„Yes.”</p><p class="p1">„Fuck. Give me a second, I’ll send a team over. Don’t let them get away or at least track them. And agent, we need them alive. If possible, of course.”</p><p class="p1">„Both?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes.”</p><p class="p1">„Understood.”</p><p class="p1">Blaze packed everything up and decided to send seeker mines their way after all. It was harder to take them over, unlike the drones. Putting his gear back in place he used a rope to quickly get down to street level. The mines told him that the targets were moving downstairs using a staircase on the other side of the building. Unfortunately, a mere fraction of a second after he had a lock on them all the mines disappeared from his radar.</p><p class="p1">„What the actual fuck,” he muttered under his breath, getting his assault rifle ready for action. His instincts told him to run to the other side of the staircase and it was the right call after all. He hid behind a blown up car and waited, weapon ready to shoot. Where were those <em>goddamn </em>reinforcements? It might get ugly once the Rikers get here too.</p><p class="p1">Almost as if the Rikers were able to read his mind ISAC suddenly noticed a swarm of them approaching on the right. Seven targets.</p><p class="p1">„Get out of this building, you fuckers, I don’t have time for this,” Blaze said to himself again, making sure that his grenades were secure and ready to go as soon as he needs them.</p><p class="p1">Theo Parnell and his companion finally <em>did </em>exit the building, but Blaze was too late to realize that it was only a holographic decoy made to distract him from their actual position ten feet in the other direction. He cursed under his breath and started running. They were his targets. He’ll deal with the Rikers if he has to, but the two were his priority right now.</p><p class="p1">Apparently they were not as fast as him and when they hid behind one of the cars blocking the way, he assumed they will be taking a defensive position. What he did not assume was that they would use his own seeker mines to target <em>him</em>. The explosions did catch him off guard, but the mines did more commotion than actual damage. Unfortunately commotion was exactly what Theo and his companion needed to keep running.</p><p class="p1">„Reinforcements inbound,” he suddenly heard ISAC again and sighed with relief.</p><p class="p1">„Tell them to take care of the Rikers. I’m pursuing the targets.”</p><p class="p1">„Acknowledged.”</p><p class="p1">He made sure that his armor was intact and kept following the two. ISAC was still not able to identify the other person, which seemed strange to Blaze. There were only two options. One, the person was completely outside of the network. Two, the person knew how to manipulate ISAC, which ultimately would be a much worse outcome. He kept pursuing them relentlessly, ultimately forcing them into a corner with just one way out. <em>Finally</em>. Blaze readied his assault rifle again and waited.</p><p class="p1">„I know you’re in there and that you don’t have anywhere to run,” he said, making sure they could hear him. „If you surrender now I won’t be forced to kill you.”</p><p class="p1">It seemed like eternity before he got a response, but the one he got was definitely <em>not </em>what he was expecting.</p><p class="p1">Theo was suddenly holding him at gunpoint from behind, the two in front of him <em>once again</em> a decoy. <em>Of course</em>.</p><p class="p1">„Something tells me it’s not us who doesn’t have anywhere to run,” there was a mocking undertone to Parnell’s voice that made Blaze immediately hate the guy. „Now let us go and we will let you go as well.”</p><p class="p1">„Not a chance,” Blaze answered with a sigh. „Reinforcements are on their way here already. It’s the end for you both. Even if you kill me, they’re still going to get you.”</p><p class="p1">„We’ll see about that. Now please put your gear on the ground. And do it fast. We don’t have all night.”</p><p class="p1">Blaze noticed the woman approach on the other side with her arms crossed against her chest, silent. Was she not talking because she didn’t want to be recognized?</p><p class="p1">„Are you with him on this?” he turned to her, placing his rifle on the ground. „Are you a traitor as well?”</p><p class="p1">He noticed her eyes widen, but she was still silent. He possibly hit something there. It was apparently a good direction to pursue.</p><p class="p1">„If you come with me now, you will be safe," he added. "I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”</p><p class="p1">He couldn’t see the look on Parnell’s face, but he did notice that he turned to look at her. There was a lot of uncertainty in the look she shot him as well. So they were not accomplices. Looks like he might have a way out after all. And a way to capture Parnell as well.</p><p class="p1">Without thinking much he headbutted Parnell with all the force he could muster, turning around and grabbing his rifle in the process. Parnell’s weapon fell from his hands as he lost his balance for a moment. Unsurprisingly, the woman didn’t move to help him.</p><p class="p1">„You <em>fucker!</em>” Parnell took in a quick breath, blood gushing from his nose.</p><p class="p1">The woman approached them both then, her face still obscured by a scarf. Fuck. Where has Blaze seen her and why did she look so familiar? Was she a fellow agent in disguise? Was this why he was on this mission in the first place?</p><p class="p1">„I don’t know what you were thinking,” she spoke then, quietly, her voice also strangely familiar but not quite recognizable. „But I don’t really care."</p><p class="p1">Blaze wanted to say something, wanted to react to what she just said, but it was then he realized she wasn’t talking to Parnell. She was talking to <em>him </em>and this was all a <em>farce</em>. A farce that allowed them to get him with a Blinder Firefly. Luckily he was taught to act fast even in the most dire of situations and well, maybe he lost his eyesight for a bit, but not his hearing. He heard them run away and he aimed his gun. Maybe he won’t be able to capture them alive, but at least he was going to <em>stop </em>them and get them afterwards. The protocol for handling rogue agents was simple. And whoever Parnell’s companion was, she was definitely an accomplice; probably a rogue agent as well, considering that she had access to SHD tech.</p><p class="p1">Blaze heard a grunt followed by a loud <em>fuck </em>from Parnell, telling him that he indeed managed to land at least one bullet. Unfortunately when he came to, there was no sight of any of them, but there <em>was </em>blood on the sidewalk. They could not have gotten far. With reinforcements inbound, they were going to get them after all.</p><p class="p1">That was when he heard ISAC again and his heart sank immediately.</p><p class="p1">„Agent identified,” the AI spoke, calm as ever, not knowing what it meant for him and SHD in general. „Name: Anna Clarke. Status: Unknown.”</p><p class="p1">Of all the agents he could have thought of, of all the agents he knew, he couldn’t believe it was <em>her. </em>And that it took a shot from <em>his</em> gun and <em>her </em>blood on the ground for ISAC to finally identify her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Faultlines</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Determined to understand the way the rogue network works, an agent decides to make a special delivery and become friends with one of the most intimidating people in New York - James Dragov.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">Paul woke up around seven, same as usual. His body clock was well used to it by now, seven being the usual time he would feed the dogs and take them for a walk around the compound. Even though the dogs were safe in Washington now and the only mouth to feed he had was his own, old habits die hard. It was still time for him to get up and get going. He had a job to do and new friends to make. The friendship he was about to secure on that day might actually be a crucial one if he wanted to receive the information he needed.</p><p class="p1">His Rivian truck was fully equipped not only for safe rest and travel, but luckily also for making breakfast. Rummaging through all the equipment he had in the back he finally managed to find a portable gas stove, two pots, canned beans, bread and a coffee grinder. He had more than enough coffee, but his food supply was slowly running out. Maybe after the meeting he will be able to restock what he needed most. Oh, what we wouldn’t do for some eggs to go with the beans!</p><p class="p1">Waiting for the food to heat up and for the coffee to brew he reached for a map, marking his current position on the trail. Still a few hours to go before he reaches New York. The last time he went there must have been on a trip with friends, long before the Division and long before the First Wave. David was there too. Maybe he will be able to find him in New York? As much as he really wanted to hope that it might happen, he also knew the odds. If David was alive, he would have probably contacted him by now. It still didn’t stop him from looking though and probably never will.</p><p class="p1">When the food was ready Paul took a moment to enjoy the meal and drink his coffee. It was the tiny everyday rituals he enjoyed the most during these crazy times. It helped him feel grounded and somewhat secure at least for those few minutes it took for him to finish the meal. He cleaned the dishes afterwards, breathed in and got back into the car to drive the last miles he had left before arriving in New York.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">„So you’re telling me that you have no idea what happened?”</p><p class="p1">Kelso was obviously angry. Not only did Parnell and his accomplice manage to escape, but said accomplice was also identified as one of their agents who in turn was nowhere to be found now. <em>Of course</em> she was angry. But Blaze was angry too and he was not going down without a fight.</p><p class="p1">„I just told you <em>exactly </em>what happened. Step by step. What more do you want?”</p><p class="p1">„I need <em>answers</em>! I need to know where she is right now and what she’s doing. I need to know if she’s alive. Or rogue. Or kidnapped. I need <em>answers</em>.”</p><p class="p1">„And I’m not going to give you any because I don’t have them myself, okay? I told you everything I know. I was just as surprised to see her there as you are right now.”</p><p class="p1">He was telling the truth. They ran every possible test there was to run on ISAC, launched every available diagnostic tool, used every back door they could find to try and determine her status. ISAC’s answer was always the same. <em>Status unknown</em>. It didn’t help that she was one of a very small group of individuals in the entire SHD that could manipulate ISAC however they wished.</p><p class="p1">„So I’m assuming the data we have on her supply run yesterday was fabricated?” Kelso went through all the data again, trying to connect the dots in a way that would make sense.</p><p class="p1">„Of course it was. She used it as a diversion to hide her actual position. She knew that if she simply went offline somebody would notice. It was a well planned meeting and she was well prepared.”</p><p class="p1">„So she was planning to meet with Parnell for what? To hunt him down? To help him?”</p><p class="p1">„I don’t know.”</p><p class="p1">„Figures.”</p><p class="p1">Blaze was getting tired of this conversation. His back hurt, his arm hurt, he was desperate for a hot shower and a good night’s sleep. And yet Kelso was keeping him by her desk for at least two hours now, constantly running in circles with assumptions that had absolutely no ground in reality. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and massaged his temples to calm down a little.</p><p class="p1">„Listen, Alani,” he continued after a while with a much softer voice, no longer trying to hide how tired he actually was. „I don’t know what happened there. I want answers as much as you do. But can we please come back to this conversation tomorrow? I’m <em>exhausted</em> and there’s nothing else I could tell you right now.”</p><p class="p1">Hearing the change in his tone of voice Kelso visibly calmed down as well.</p><p class="p1">„Alright. Sorry. I know. It’s just… nothing makes sense here. Nothing at all. Starting with the anonymous tip, ending with what you just told me.”</p><p class="p1">This statement caught Blaze’s attention.</p><p class="p1">„Anonymous tip? What do you mean?”</p><p class="p1">„We got an anonymous tip about the meeting. I was certain that it was a fake. That’s why we deployed only one agent; just in case, you know. You know how many tips like that we get. I never would have thought that this one would turn out to be true.”</p><p class="p1">Blaze sighed. He hated anonymous tips with a burning passion, but it was something the Division had to live with. Intel and recon data were one thing; they were also obliged to at least check every possible threat that was reported. They couldn’t allow themselves to just ignore those. But if you assume a lead is fake, there’s no way you’re going to send an entire team chasing God-knows-what.</p><p class="p1">„I understand. I didn’t know.”</p><p class="p1">„It’s fine. Nobody could have known. What matters now is that we have two targets to find. Theo Parnell and Anna Clarke. You up for the task? I am going to give you a team of course.”</p><p class="p1">Blaze nodded. In the exact moment Parnell decided to hold him at gunpoint in that dark alley this has become personal.</p><p class="p1">„Yes. Yes I am.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">It was long after sunset when Paul arrived at the Financial District. A little ahead of schedule, even though schedules were not really a thing to go by anymore. He still liked following them though; it gave him a sense of purpose, made him feel like he was always in control. It was a good feeling.</p><p class="p1">He took out the patch that he was supposed to place behind his windshield in order to be recognized by the Rikers. He was told that as long as he had it he would be able to navigate the streets without any disturbances. Strangely enough, it actually turned out to be true. He noticed a few patrols here and there, but none stopped him. Some did pay close attention to the patch though. Paul was glad that his new friend didn’t turn out to be a liar.</p><p class="p1">When he arrived at his destination, he couldn’t believe how much the Wall Street has changed ever since he’d been here last. Barbed wire? Check. Scary slogans? Check. He wasn’t sure but he probably even noticed a decaying corpse here and there. Were those supposed to be a warning? If so, well, it did the job. It made Paul even more disgusted, but he still had to keep going.</p><p class="p1">The entrance to James Dragov’s hideout was pretty easy to spot. Heavily guarded by Rikers and a few automatic turrets it seemed to be impossible to breach. But Paul had no plans to breach it. He was here to make a deal and he needed to do it fast.</p><p class="p1">Six Rikers stopped him just in front of the gate, pointing their guns directly at his head. He slowly pointed to the patch visible behind his windshield. The thugs immediately lowered their guns and gestured vividly in his direction, urging him to go forward after the gate was open. He did just that, taking in a deep breath. The first step has been taken. No turning back now.</p><p class="p1">He slowed down after passing another gate and ultimately parked in front of what he supposed to be the main entrance to the hideout. He turned the car off using his watch and got out, making sure that every lock was secure. Then he heard footsteps. Four, no, five individuals. Probably men. Heavy boots, heavy armor. As soon as he turned towards them, he recognized their leader without a doubt.</p><p class="p1">James Dragov was tall and intimidating. Wearing a full set of heavy armor, sans a helmet, he probably looked even taller than he actually was. Sporting a casual mohawk hairstyle and a braided beard, he did remind Paul of a character from a TV series about the Vikings he saw a long time ago. His posture was that of a battle-worn warrior, but Paul didn’t fail to notice that he was limping. It didn’t seem to be a fresh injury. Maybe a permanent deficit he’s learned to live with.</p><p class="p1">„James Dragov, I assume,” Paul spoke first, knowing perfectly well how to make a good first impression. „Nice to meet you. I’m Paul Bosevi. I brought your stuff.”</p><p class="p1">Dragov stopped right in front of him and eyed him thoroughly from head to toe. Paul didn’t flinch a single bit. He wanted to and he probably would have eventually, but Dragov suddenly smiled and reached out to grab his hand.</p><p class="p1">„Yes. Nice to meet you too,” Paul was surprised to notice that Dragov’s voice was actually calm and reserved. „I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”</p><p class="p1">„Well, it’s not like I got into any traffic on my way here,” Paul smiled as well. „And I didn’t want you to wait. You can check the crates if you want, they’re all there, marked with red tape.”</p><p class="p1">Dragov gestured at his companions with a careful nod and they were immediately by the car, unloading the cargo. Paul just watched, a half-smile still present on his face. The cargo was in perfect condition and he knew it. It was essential in order to make this deal work.</p><p class="p1">„You mind if I smoke?”, he suddenly heard Dragov’s voice and noticed that the man was reaching into one of his pockets.</p><p class="p1">„No, not at all, go ahead.”</p><p class="p1">Dragov took out a packet of cigarettes and moved it towards Paul, urging him to take one. Paul didn’t smoke, but Dragov didn’t have to know that and he really needed to get on his good side. So he took one of the cigarettes and put it in his mouth. Dragov lit it quickly and his own right after that. Paul was surprised to notice that it was one of the good brands. Expensive. He wondered how Dragov got his hands on them.</p><p class="p1">„So you came here all the way from DC, huh?” Dragov said after a while, exhaling a puff of smoke.</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. I just had one stop to make on the way to pick up some other cargo. It didn’t take that long. But I have to be back soon,” the cigarettes might have been expensive, but the taste and the smoke still made Paul’s eyes water a little. He was hoping that Dragov was not going to notice. „I don’t like being away from DC for too long.”</p><p class="p1">„Somebody waiting for ya?”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. My dogs. I left them with a friend, but I still miss them a lot.”</p><p class="p1">Dragov suddenly laughed, the sound of it surprisingly sincere and not at all intimidating. Paul could have actually described it as… <em>friendly</em>?</p><p class="p1">„Oh, I know what you mean! I love dogs. Humans don’t deserve them.”</p><p class="p1">Paul tried to act surprised, but he knew it all a long time before he arrived in New York. He did extensive research on Dragov. He knew everything there was to know from any official records, including Dragov’s old Facebook posts with a senile German shepherd sleeping with him on a sofa.</p><p class="p1">„Tell me about it. That’s why I run a small animal clinic in DC. People don’t really care about their pets anymore when their own lives are in danger, now more than ever. Somebody had to do something about it.”</p><p class="p1">„You have my deepest respect, man. Using your time and abilities for such a noble..." Dragov’s sentence got interrupted by one of his companions giving him a thumbs up, obviously regarding the cargo. Paul tried not to visibly gloat about this. „Sorry. Glad to see the cargo’s in mint condition. Boys, take it inside. You said you run an animal clinic?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. And a shelter. It’s not easy to find good homes for dogs nowadays, but we try our best.”</p><p class="p1">„You know, I could actually use your help with something. Could you take a look at some of our dogs? I want to know if they’re healthy. Some of them are pretty old and I think one has a broken leg that didn’t heal well.”</p><p class="p1">„Sure thing. I’ll probably have to stay for the night though. I’m pretty tired to be honest.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh, that’s not a problem. We’ll be glad to have you as a guest. You drink vodka?”</p><p class="p1">Paul hated vodka just as much as he hated cigarettes. Unfortunately there was just one reasonable answer to this question.</p><p class="p1">„Of course. Who <em>doesn’t</em> drink <em>vodka</em>?”</p><p class="p1">Dragov laughed at that and patted Paul on the back. It was probably supposed to be a friendly gesture, but Paul couldn’t ignore the force behind it. It took a lot of his strength not to fall forward and not to choke on the cigarette.</p><p class="p1">„My man! Take the crates inside, boys. Tell Knuckles to catalog it. Keener will be here shortly to pick those up, so tell him to be careful, I don’t want to have to explain myself to that bastard again. I’m going to have a heart to heart with my new friend here. Oh, and bring us some good food to go with the vodka.”</p><p class="p1">Paul smiled at that and patted Dragov on the back too, putting in a little more force than he usually did. The guy actually seemed… <em>friendly</em>. A little too powerful for his own good, yes. But still friendly.</p><p class="p1">Just as they were about to go inside, Paul heard some agitated voices coming from the other side of the gate. Dragov noticed them too, suddenly alert and with a much different expression on his face. Commotion outside of the gate couldn’t mean anything good. There were no gunshots though, just shouting. Two, no, three angry voices. Why would someone <em>argue</em> with the Rikers?</p><p class="p1">„Dragov, sir, come in,” Dragov’s walkie-talkie suddenly chimed in, the voice a little distorted but perfectly understandable. „Parnell is here. He wants us to let him through. He says he needs to talk to you.”</p><p class="p1">Paul noticed a change in Dragov’s demeanor almost immediately. The man suddenly turned <em>angry, a</em> frown prominent on his face. There was also an audible change in his voice.</p><p class="p1">„What does the kid want? Why is he even here?!”</p><p class="p1">„I don’t know, sir, but it looks like he’s been shot. Somebody’s with him too. Also shot. I think… I think they’re in a pretty bad shape.”</p><p class="p1">Dragov’s face suddenly lost all color, gritting of his teeth audible with every single word he spoke. Paul could also see a vein pulsing on his left temple.</p><p class="p1">„Let him through. If he did anything stupid <em>again</em>, I’ll finish him myself.”</p><p class="p1">With that, the door opened and the individual they called Parnell entered the compound, his body supporting another person. A woman. Dragov was with them in a second, stopping in his tracks as soon as he noticed what’s going on.</p><p class="p1">„Theo, you dumb fuck,” he almost shouted, covering his face with his hands with obvious disbelief. „Why the <em>fuck</em> did you bring a Division agent here? <em>Are you out of your fucking mind</em>?”</p><p class="p1">„You have to help us,” Theo spoke, obviously very weak. „She’s helping me. I need her. She can’t die. I don’t…” he didn’t finish what he wanted to say before collapsing on his knees, still trying to support the woman next to him. „We were shot by a… Division agent. We have… footage from Tribeca. I need her to open…”</p><p class="p1">It was visibly harder and harder for Parnell to speak. Dragov crouched next to him, taking the woman from his arms. She was still alive, but obviously lost a lot of blood. There was a bullet wedged in her shoulder and another one in her calf. Paul watched the scene carefully, not wanting to miss anything. A Division agent? In Dragov’s hideout? Brought here by <em>another</em> rogue agent? Well, now he definitely had to stay and see how this plays out.</p><p class="p1">„Duchess, come in,” Dragov suddenly spoke into his walkie-talkie again, „I need medical assistance. Immediately. Two teams with stretchers to the front, chop chop!”</p><p class="p1">Paul finally managed to take a better look at Parnell. He <em>did </em>look younger than most other rogues he met in his life. There was a lot of blood covering his right arm and some more on his neck. It was hard to tell which stain of blood was his and which one was the woman’s, but the arm one was definitely his - it was still bleeding. There was also a lot of blood on his face, dripping from his nose and sinking into a bandana under his chin.</p><p class="p1">„Thank you,” Paul heard Parnell talking to Dragov again. „I’m in… your debt.”</p><p class="p1">„That’s nothing new, you idiot,” Dragov answered, an irritated undertone to his voice. „But if you’re <em>lying</em> about having footage from Tribeca or about that <em>agent</em>, I swear I’m going to kill you myself.”</p><p class="p1">„I’m not. I got it… from Keener. And she's with me. <em>Please.</em>”</p><p class="p1">With that, the stretchers finally arrived and both Parnell and the agent were taken inside the building. Dragov let out a long sigh, turning back to Paul almost as if he suddenly remembered he was there. He came back to stand next to him, lighting another cigarette with shaking hands, this time not offering any to Paul.</p><p class="p1">„Sorry about that. This kid is going to get us all killed one day, I’m sure. Now where were we? Vodka?”</p><p class="p1">Paul nodded and followed Dragov inside the building, questions upon questions running through his head. Why did he decide to help a <em>Division </em>agent? What was so important about what that Parnell kid said that made him lose his reservations? And what did <em>Tribeca</em> mean to him? Paul knew that Dragov was stationed there when he was still a Division agent, but there were no reports of anything unusual happening there. Was <em>that</em> the reason why it was so important?</p><p class="p1">He didn’t ask any of these questions though, making a mental note to come back to them later. They were not yet acquainted well enough to get into such details. But they will be, and Paul will get all the information he needs, including an explanation for what just happened outside. Even if it takes longer than he initially thought and even if it forces him to deviate from his original plan a little.</p><p class="p1">„Are they going to be okay?” As soon as they sat at a large wooden table Paul finally did ask a question, an innocent one that could not have been taken the wrong way.</p><p class="p1">„Yes, they will,” Dragov’s voice was firm but steady; he was sure of what he was saying and not at all suspicious of Paul’s motives. „I mean, our guys have to patch them up and probably restore their blood levels, but they will be fine. Eventually. We have a good medical team here, so yeah. They’ll be just fine.”</p><p class="p1">„Is Parnell your… friend? Accomplice?”</p><p class="p1">Dragov scowled at that, pouring two shots of vodka and placing one in front of Paul.</p><p class="p1">„Worse. He’s family. Which means I have to look out for him no matter what dumb stunt he pulls. He’s a good kid, just… a little reckless. And paranoid. But I like him.”</p><p class="p1">Paul smiled at that, raising his vodka shot in the air then, calling for a toast.</p><p class="p1">„To family then,” he said, the glass of his shot clicking against Dragov’s. „May we be able to keep them safe from their own stupidity.”</p><p class="p1">„Amen to that,” Dragov smiled, downing his shot immediately. „Now, another round and you tell me about this clinic of yours.”</p><p class="p1">Paul slid his shot glass against the table and tried to mask his fear of too much alcohol with an endearing smile.</p><p class="p1">It was going to be a long night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Unknown</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Unexpected circumstances can sometimes lead to making unexpected friends.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">Opening her eyes was suddenly harder than it has ever been before, but Anna tried nonetheless. She felt exhausted, her mouth incredibly dry and muscles pulling hard, pain concentrating somewhere around her shoulder. And her calf. Fuck, why did it hurt so much?</p><p class="p1">It all started coming back to her slowly, like random scenes from an old black-and-white movie. The conversation she had with Theo, how she agreed to get on with his plan and escape Blaze’s pursuit. Why did it have to be <em>Blaze</em> of all people? She didn’t want to get him involved with this. She just wanted to <em>know things</em>. Apparently in this world it’s not something that can ever be so easy.</p><p class="p1">She remembered ducking behind a car and listening to Theo explain his plan. If they separate us now, he said, who knows if we’ll ever get a chance to talk again. You need to come with me, he said. If you want to know the truth, you can’t go back with him. They’ll question you, they’ll revoke your system privileges and who knows what else for meeting with a rogue agent. You can try and lie that I abducted you or took you hostage, but they’ll never believe you. Come with me and give me a chance to prove that I’m right.</p><p class="p1">And then there was confusion. Shooting. Searing pain in her leg, searing pain in her shoulder. Did she get <em>shot</em>? What the fuck happened after she used Parnell’s Firefly to blind Blaze? Was <em>he </em>the one who shot her?</p><p class="p1">A dull headache finally made her open her eyes and the first thing she noticed was that she had absolutely no idea where she was. It was <em>so hard</em> to move her head around; almost as if it suddenly weighed a ton, her body not able to support it at all. Judging by the crates around her, she was in some kind of warehouse. She tried to move her legs, her hands, <em>anything</em>.</p><p class="p1">That was when she realized her left hand was handcuffed to the bed. And that Theo was sitting in a chair right next to her, peeling an orange. Noticing that she opened her eyes he immediately stood up and approached her.</p><p class="p1">„Hey, you’re safe now,” he said, hovering over her, his voice strangely soothing, the smell of freshly peeled orange suddenly overwhelming. „Dragov helped us, just as I hoped he would. This colleague of yours really got you good, you know. Two centimeters to the left and he would have gotten your heart.”</p><p class="p1">She wanted to react to that, to say something, but she couldn’t move her tongue. Parnell left her line of sight for a second and came back with a water bottle fitted with a straw. He helped her sit up a little and despite the pain Anna drank greedily, cool water suddenly the most soothing beverage she ever tasted.</p><p class="p1">„Thank you,” she said as soon as her mouth felt a little more normal again. „How… are you?”</p><p class="p1">„Oh, I’m fine. My nose was hit hard but luckily not broken. And I got shot in the arm but the bullet went through. I’ve been through worse. You, on the other hand, well… you slept for two days.”</p><p class="p1">Two days. <em>Fuck</em>. She immediately wanted to reach for her watch and check it for herself, but wasn’t surprised to realize that it was nowhere to be found. They must have removed it when they were putting the handcuffs on.</p><p class="p1">„Why am I handcuffed to the bed?”</p><p class="p1">Theo shot a quick glance towards her left hand.</p><p class="p1">„I’m sorry. Dragov’s precautions. He doesn’t trust the Division and thought it would be safer to, you know…<em> incapacitate </em>you. Just in case.”</p><p class="p1">„How did he know I was with the Division? I specifically made sure… to not be on the network.”</p><p class="p1">„Your shoes. He’s way smarter than he looks and he’s the king of black market. He knows who orders what and in what quantities. He took <em>one look</em> at you and I couldn’t have convinced him otherwise even if I tried. But I should be able to persuade him to take it off. Sorry.”</p><p class="p1">Anna turned around a little, moving her head to look at Theo. He did seem tired and a little restless, but apart from that he was mostly fine. She could see that he was in pain though. It was obvious in the way he was peeling the orange earlier.</p><p class="p1">„It’s fine. I just… I need a good plan now. I can’t just go back and pretend nothing happened. It’s… <em>shit</em>. We shouldn’t have met in the first place, Theo. It was a bad idea. I should have expected that things could easily turn sour.”</p><p class="p1">He shifted a little and sat on the bed next to her.</p><p class="p1">„Want some orange?”</p><p class="p1">„What?”</p><p class="p1">„Orange. It’ll be good for you.”</p><p class="p1">She <em>did </em>feel outraged with the way he deflected her statement, but damn. She really <em>did </em>want that orange.</p><p class="p1">„Yes please.”</p><p class="p1">„Open your mouth.”</p><p class="p1">He slipped a slice into her mouth and when she started chewing, he took this opportunity to talk.</p><p class="p1">„I should have known better too. I never wanted to put you in danger. I have no idea how that guy found us, but it doesn’t really matter now. What matters is that you were seen with me and since you got shot, he was probably able to identify you. You blinded him with my Firefly and it gave us a chance to run, but you turned against <em>him </em>in this showdown. Now, the Division will probably let you explain yourself if you bring them my head on a silver platter since the guy isn’t dead. But I don’t really want to be put on trial or whatever. I still have stuff to do.”</p><p class="p1">„What are you getting at?”</p><p class="p1">„I’m thinking maybe you should stay here for a while. Let’s get into this intel and see what we can extract. After that, it’s up to you to decide. Something tells me you don’t really <em>want</em> to go back though. And it’s not just about the intel.”</p><p class="p1">She didn’t know how to answer to that. He was right, but the problem was that the Division would not just let her disappear like that. They will send other agents to hunt her, <em>them</em>, down and bring them to justice. She may not have turned rogue, but she wasn’t sure it would make any difference to Kelso or Rhodes. Speaking of Rhodes - he actually <em>might </em>be able to find her. He was the only person in the loop who knew ISAC better than her. And probably the only one who would actually <em>worry </em>about her. At least at first.</p><p class="p1">„You’re making a very fair point, but I don’t think it’s going to be that simple," she said after a while. "They will do anything in their power to find us. They’re not just going to let us do whatever we please.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh, don’t worry about that. I can do <em>a lot</em> to make sure they’re running in circles and getting their own tail every single time. I’ve been off the grid for months and they had absolutely no idea where to look. The real question is, what do <em>you </em>want to do. Do you want to help me? Do you want another orange slice?”</p><p class="p1">„Stop distracting me with orange slices. I <em>do </em>want to try and get to the bottom of this, but I also want to make sure that I don’t burn all the bridges in the process. I might need them. And in case you didn’t notice, most of my equipment is in Haven. And I need it to work.”</p><p class="p1">Theo looked lost in thought for a while, biting the inside of his cheek in the process.</p><p class="p1">„You know, Dragov can get you whatever you need,” he said after a while. „He <em>is </em>the king of black market.”</p><p class="p1">„How convenient. You have really thought this through, haven’t you.”</p><p class="p1">„Not really. But I’m good at taking chances. Now open your mouth.”</p><p class="p1">She rolled her eyes but did what she was told, chewing on another orange slice and actually enjoying the taste and texture much more than she would have under any other circumstances.</p><p class="p1">„Thank you. Now back to business. What if I just wanted to leave now? Would you let me go?”</p><p class="p1">„Of course I would. Although it’s actually Dragov’s call and he probably won’t be pleased. He might be a little worried about you telling the Division about this location.”</p><p class="p1">„The Division knows about this place very well. They just… prefer not to cause an open conflict with the Rikers.”</p><p class="p1">„Now isn’t that smart.”</p><p class="p1">„Not for them. It’s standard protocol.”</p><p class="p1">„I might make another remark on how you just said <em>them </em>and not <em>us</em>, but I’m just going to offer you another orange slice and shut the fuck up.”</p><p class="p1">„Thank you. Much appreciated.”</p><p class="p1">When Anna was finally done with the entire orange she actually did feel much better. Her limbs still hurt, sure, but it was a pain she could manage. The dressings on her wounds were fresh, which meant she was actually taken care of well enough. Thinking about SHD did make her feel a little sick to her stomach though. She’s seen situations like these multiple times and if she took the intel to them, to the Division, it would be exactly the same as it always was. She’s made this mistake multiple times before and she’s never seen any result or even any action taken to explain what she saw. You suspect your higher-ups are corrupt and you start asking questions? You’re out. You’re supposed to follow orders, not question them. You either do that or become a traitor. They tell you to abandon your post and the people who are going to die if you do so and you have to do it. They tell you to die for the cause, you follow. <em>Damn</em>, how she hated the way SHD made everyone believe they were fighting for the greater good while the greater good couldn’t be farther from their actual objective. She should have just gone public with what she had. And she should have done it a long time ago.</p><p class="p1">When Theo left to bring Dragov to take her handcuffs off, she ultimately succumbed to these feelings and suddenly felt disappointment and helplessness fuel her anger like they never have before. It might be a mistake, but this has already gone too far. Besides, she had Theo to help her now. They might have gotten off on the wrong foot and unnecessarily overcomplicated things, but one thing was certain. Their objective was the same. They both wanted the truth and they both wanted to expose all the lies they have been fed by the government.</p><p class="p1">She was going to get to the bottom of this and nobody was going to stop her.</p><p class="p1">If she had to work with a rogue agent to do it, then so be it.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">Paul was waiting for an opportunity to talk to the woman for a few days. First she was unconscious, then she was accompanied either by Parnell or Dragov’s goons. It was getting harder and harder for him to find excuses to stay in the hideout. Dragov didn’t suspect anything yet as Paul was taking good care of the dogs and helping with the cargo he just brought, but he would still have to leave soon to not overdo it. So he waited and observed. And when he finally noticed her working alone with no company whatsoever, he decided to take a shot and go talk to her.</p><p class="p1">She was standing by a workbench just outside the compound, working on a set of seeker mines. She was looking much better by now, but her leg still obviously hurt when she walked.</p><p class="p1">„Hey there,” he said, adjusting the weapon on his back and sitting down on a metal crate right next to her, opening a can of soda. „Feeling okay?”</p><p class="p1">She shot him a tired look and immediately turned back to the seeker mines.</p><p class="p1">„Fine. You?”</p><p class="p1">„Could be better. I could use some vacation.”</p><p class="p1">„I could use <em>not having </em>to carry this <em>shit </em>around wherever I go.”</p><p class="p1">She moved her leg a little and he noticed a tracking bracelet on her ankle. So much for trust among the Rikers, he thought.</p><p class="p1">„Why did they put it on you in the first place?” He asked, taking a sip of soda.</p><p class="p1">„You don’t know?”</p><p class="p1">„I’m sorry. I’m just passing through. Don’t really know the drill around here. The last time I saw you there was blood all over you and you didn’t look that well. Hence the question.”</p><p class="p1">„Right. Sorry you had to see that. It wasn’t my best moment. I’m better now though. I just… have some stuff I need to take care of.”</p><p class="p1">„About that,” he took another sip of the drink. „Are you really a Division agent?”</p><p class="p1">„You really think I would tell you if I were?”</p><p class="p1">Paul snorted.</p><p class="p1">„Fair point. I was just surprised to see you come in with a rogue agent. Dragov said you were with the Division. So I just made an assumption.”</p><p class="p1">The woman sighed and turned around, facing him again. She let the seeker mines roll against the concrete floor and ultimately leave the building with almost no sound.</p><p class="p1">„Markers,” she said, noticing Paul’s puzzled expression. „The targeting system they have here is shit. So I amped it up a bit by adding seeker mines. There’s no running away when they mark a target. Hell, you won’t even know they’re following you.”</p><p class="p1">Her expression changed a little and Paul even noticed a small smile forming on her lips. It made her look a little less tired.</p><p class="p1">„Listen,” he said after a while, deciding to finally get to the point. „I may not be from around here, but I can tell when something is off. Why are you here?”</p><p class="p1">„Are <em>you </em>with the Division?”</p><p class="p1">„No. But I’m trying to stand for everyone who’s doing the right thing. I heard Dragov and Parnell talk about some intel you might have. And I’m naturally curious.”</p><p class="p1">„I <em>knew </em>you weren’t one for random chit-chat,” a smile formed on her lips again and Paul somehow actually felt offended. „I can’t tell you much, but I can tell you this. I am exactly where I need to be. That’s as much as you’re going to get from me.”</p><p class="p1">He tried to return a smile that would be just as passive-aggressive.</p><p class="p1">„I’m not here to question what you’re trying to do. I’m just trying to understand whether you’re a threat or not.”</p><p class="p1">„Depends which side you’re on. If you’re with the government, then yes, I might be. But then again if you were, this wouldn’t really be a place you would visit. So why are you <em>really </em>here?”</p><p class="p1">Paul made a pause for a second, sipping on his drink again. She might be a little harder to crack than the others.</p><p class="p1">„I’m exactly who and where I need to be,” he said after a moment, smiling at her; this time genuinely. „But my ultimate goal is for everyone to be safe. Even if it means I have to break a few rules in the process.”</p><p class="p1">„Well then,” she answered, returning his smile. „Who would have known. We might actually share a common goal.”</p><p class="p1">He wanted to say something more, but suddenly felt something hairy brush against his leg. Looking down he noticed Snezhinka, a very old and somewhat slow Samoyed, Dragov’s favorite dog. Very demanding in terms of attention.</p><p class="p1">„I’m sorry, but I have important business to attend to,” he said, suddenly lifting the big dog up and placing her in his lap. „This sweetheart needs some scratching. Don’t you, baby? Don’t you?”</p><p class="p1">The woman stood there, looking at him with a stunned expression on her face. And then he noticed an immediate change in her demeanor.</p><p class="p1">„<em>I know who you are,</em>” she said, more to herself than to him. „Oh my God. I should have realized it sooner. You’re Dogman. <em>Of course you are</em>.”</p><p class="p1">He suddenly felt an unpleasant shiver run down his spine. How the hell could she know who he was?</p><p class="p1">„I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, pretending to focus on the dog and just brush her off.</p><p class="p1">„Oh, come on. The dog was the one last thing I needed to complete the picture. You’re not from around here. You’re not with the Division <em>or</em> with the Rikers, but you’re free to travel. You take care of stray dogs. There’s a <em>black paw insignia </em>on your G36C. In a yellow circle. I would have realized sooner, but as you probably noticed yourself, I’m not really at my best right now. Wow. Never thought I’d see you here.”</p><p class="p1">Paul sighed and finally looked back at her.</p><p class="p1">„Look, I don’t want any trouble. I’m just doing my job. You know I’m not a threat.”</p><p class="p1">„I know. Actually, I’d say you’re a <em>lifesaver</em>. Which makes me even more curious about why you’re here. Databases say you’re usually in DC. What brings you to New York?”</p><p class="p1">Apparently there was no reason to lie to her. At least not anymore.</p><p class="p1">„The rogue network. I’m doing some research. And believe it or not, it might just so happen that you and I actually want the same thing.”</p><p class="p1">„And that would be?”</p><p class="p1">„Answers. Accountability. Safety.”</p><p class="p1">She smiled again. This time it was a completely different smile.</p><p class="p1">„Wow, yeah. We just might.”</p><p class="p1">As soon as the dog left, Paul stood up and approached her for a handshake.</p><p class="p1">„Since we haven’t been properly introduced, my name is Paul Bosevi. Nice to meet you.”</p><p class="p1">She took his hand and shook it firmly.</p><p class="p1">„Anna Clarke. Nice to meet you too.”</p><p class="p1">He had no idea who she was, but apparently she did know a thing or two about him. He did wonder what databases she had access to. How could she know where he came from, what his callsign was and first of all, how did she know all these <em>details</em>? She must have noticed his train of thought and giggled. She actually <em>giggled</em>.</p><p class="p1">„I’m sorry,” she said soon after, coming back to the workbench. „You’re probably wondering how I know who you are. I am with SHD, yes. And I have a surprisingly good memory when it comes to details. I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”</p><p class="p1">„Well,” Paul said soon after, finishing his soda and throwing the can into a rubbish bin. „I thought it might be something like me being famous around the Division or something. You kinda disappointed me there.”</p><p class="p1">„You <em>are </em>famous. Nobody else does what you do. People respect that.”</p><p class="p1">Paul would be lying if he said it didn’t feel good to receive a compliment every once in a while.</p><p class="p1">„Wow. Thank you, I guess. So you<em> are </em>an agent after all?”</p><p class="p1">„Not really. I was the head of research and development at SHD. I did go into the field a few times though. The thing is, I’m not really good in the field. But my technology is. So they decided to keep me where my, well, talents could be most useful and where I wouldn’t get myself killed. The thing is though… if you have access to all this information, you start finding things they don’t want you to.”</p><p class="p1">„I think I know what you mean. Is this why you decided to work with Parnell?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. I’m assuming you’ve done your research too and that you know who he is.”</p><p class="p1">„I do. Good call.”</p><p class="p1">„We’ll see about that.”</p><p class="p1">With that, Paul noticed Dragov approach them from inside the building, his expression stern as soon as he noticed Anna there as well.</p><p class="p1">„Hey Paul. And what are <em>you </em>doing here?” Dragov asked, obviously directing the question at her.</p><p class="p1">„Fixing your targeting system. I used my seeker mines to help it mark the targets. The accuracy is up by sixty percent now. You’re welcome.”</p><p class="p1">Dragov raised an eyebrow at that.</p><p class="p1">„Why would you do that?”</p><p class="p1">„Because it’s shit. You know, it physically hurts me to see it not work properly.”</p><p class="p1">Paul snorted at that and, surprisingly, so did Dragov.</p><p class="p1">„You and the kid might really be two sides of the same coin. Just remember I’m watching you. No weird shit, okay?”</p><p class="p1">„I wouldn’t dare.”</p><p class="p1">„Good. Now where is he, by the way? I need to talk to him about all the stuff he wanted me to get. Some of it is already here.”</p><p class="p1">„Is it possibly the stuff I need to start working on the back box?”</p><p class="p1">„Might be. I have no idea what that shit is. But if you want to take a look at it instead, be my guest.”</p><p class="p1">„Sure thing.”</p><p class="p1">Paul nodded as Anna waved at him before leaving with Dragov and actually smiled to himself.</p><p class="p1">Everything was coming together much better than he would have assumed when he made the initial decision to come to New York.</p><p class="p1">For the first time in weeks he thought that this, <em>all this</em>, might actually work out.</p><p class="p1">He was just going to need a little help.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. T Minus Everything</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Paul Rhodes and Roy Benitez have a heart to heart regarding a situation that could potentially have a very tragic outcome.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">Paul Rhodes was once again feeling like shit. It hasn’t been the first day and it won’t be the last; recently it has been happening more and more often though. It has gotten surprisingly worse ever since Anna has fallen off the radar. Mostly because he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was somehow his fault.</p><p class="p1">It made his stomach heavy every single time he started wondering whether she was dead or rogue. He honestly didn’t know which one of these options would have been better. The worst thing about all this was that something kept telling him that she’s not coming back no matter what the underlying reason for her absence was. That, and that the last words he ever said to her will always be <em>you’re reading too much into this; you’re too smart for your own good, you have to let it go</em>. She stormed out of his office without a word, slamming the door shut on her way out. Two days later she disappeared. And if Blaze was telling the truth, she disappeared with a <em>rogue agent</em>.</p><p class="p1">„Something on your mind?” Roy’s voice suddenly came from his left. He didn’t even notice the man standing next to him.</p><p class="p1">„Regret, not enough sleep and the usual shit. You need something?”</p><p class="p1">Roy Benitez was a tall, vaguely sympathetic-looking man, but there was also something about his appearance that screamed <em>I don’t take bullshit from anyone</em>. Paul wasn’t able to brush him off. He never could.</p><p class="p1">„No, I don’t”, Roy said, a puzzled expression on his face. „But something tells me that <em>you</em> do. What the fuck is going on with you, Rhodes? I can see that something is wrong. You’re usually a pain in the ass, but recently it’s almost like you’re on a personal crusade or something.”</p><p class="p1">Paul shot him a bored look and turned around to open one of the nearby fridges. He took out a bottle of beer and gestured with it at Roy. When the man nodded, he handed him another.</p><p class="p1">„Life’s life, that’s all,” Rhodes finally said, opening both bottles with his keys and sitting down on his own desk soon after he handed a bottle back to Roy. „I’m old. I’m tired. There’s not really much more to say.”</p><p class="p1">„It’s not your fault, Paul. You know that.”</p><p class="p1">Shit. He could always see right through him. Probably due to surprise, the next words left his mouth without too much thinking.</p><p class="p1">„She was supposed to take after me, Roy. She was the smartest kid I’ve ever met. SHD didn’t deserve her. She was shit in the field, yes, but <em>damn </em>the ideas she had. And now she’s gone. And the last conversation we had was… not really pleasant.”</p><p class="p1">Roy sighed and took a sip from his bottle. He’s seen Rhodes angry multiple times, but he’s never seen him so <em>resigned</em>. He needed to approach him carefully. Luckily, walking on eggshells was something he was exceptionally good at.</p><p class="p1">„I know what you mean,” he said after a while. „I liked her too. But maybe she’s onto something. You know how she loved all those conspiracy theories, running around chasing encrypted messages and hidden clearance levels. And you know that she won’t change her mind about you just because of you being an asshole. She knew you too well for that.”</p><p class="p1">Rhodes snorted and took a sip from his bottle to hide the twitch of his Adam’s apple. He wasn’t going to start crying in front of Benitez. There’s no way he was going to give the man <em>that</em> much satisfaction.</p><p class="p1">„I know. But it’s still… <em>hard</em>.” He said after a while, almost downing his beer in two huge sips. He reached for another bottle and completely ignored the stern look Benitez shot him at that.</p><p class="p1">„You drinking again?”</p><p class="p1">„I don’t think I ever stopped.”</p><p class="p1">Benitez was worried about Rhodes. He knew the man had a very unhealthy relationship with alcohol. He used to drink a lot less when Anna was around but it was true, he probably never really stopped. And it wasn’t getting any better now.</p><p class="p1">„Listen,” Benitez finally spoke, finishing his beer and leaving the bottle on Rhodes’ desk. „I know you feel like shit. And I know you had to act tough all this time and that it must have been exhausting. But your people need you. I was just going to brief the agents before their next mission and <em>yes</em>, we’re sending a team to look for Anna. Care to come with me?”</p><p class="p1">Damn that bastard Benitez. He was right. Sitting down and wailing because he lost a friend to the war was not going to help anyone. Get your shit together, Rhodes, he kept saying to himself. Move your ass, there are others who need you.</p><p class="p1">And it should have been enough. Hell, it always was. The thoughts always kept him going, <em>always </em>gave him a reason to get up in the morning. Except when you lose too many people there’s <em>always</em> this one that’s going to be your point of no return. And Rhodes just couldn’t shake the feeling that for him, it might have been Anna.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Joaquin was standing in front of a mirror, eyeing his own reflection carefully. The cut on his left cheek was healing just fine, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that the stitches they gave him were not exactly even. Oh well. He’ll probably just have to get used to that. He was just hoping that the scar won’t get in the way of his grooming habits.</p><p class="p1">He turned around and approached a coffee machine, thankful to whomever decided to supply some fresh coffee beans that morning. They have been out for about five days and as much as he didn’t really <em>need</em> coffee, he really enjoyed it. Haven was usually well stocked when it came to food and beverages, yet somehow there never seemed to be enough coffee for everyone.</p><p class="p1">He chose one of the least chipped mugs and placed it under the dispenser, selecting a double espresso. His mood lightened as soon as he felt the smell of hot coffee hit his nostrils. This, ladies and gentlemen, was his greatest joy in life. This and a cigarette. Which reminded him that just this morning he received a fresh supply and it should be waiting for him in his crate. The day was suddenly getting better and better.</p><p class="p1">He downed the coffee in two sips and washed the mug afterwards, leaving it next to the coffee machine to dry. Adjusting his baseball cap he quickly made for the crate to retrieve the cigarettes he ordered a week ago. Truth be told, he wasn’t proud to be a smoker. Unfortunately the latest events made him fall back into some of the habits he wasn’t proud of. <em>Whatever helps you cope with this shit</em>, his friends would usually say and shrug at the same time. He knew they all had something to keep them grounded. For him, it was cigarettes. For some it was alcohol. If he had to choose from the two, he would actually consider cigarettes a better choice.</p><p class="p1">Taking the cigarettes from his crate he made sure to close it afterwards and confirm package receipt using his watch. Twenty packs should last him about two months. Since it was already his lucky day, maybe there was also a way for him to find some <em>chocolate</em>? Making his way for the kitchen, he couldn’t help but be a <em>little</em> hopeful. Unfortunately chocolate was nowhere to be found. The only thing he did manage to get his hands on was a can of soda. Could have been better, could have been worse. Considering that he was technically still on his break and that he had a briefing with Rhodes in half an hour, he decided to go outside and smoke in peace. He may not have been able to find chocolate but he was still planning to enjoy his cigarette to the fullest.</p><p class="p1">As soon as he went outside he noticed Marta sitting on one of the concrete cylinders stacked next to each other for more safety. He raised his hand in a greeting and Marta did the same, although she did seem incredibly wary even making such a small gesture.</p><p class="p1">„Not enough sleep?” Joaquin asked, sitting next to her and quickly fishing a cigarette from one of the packs he had on him.</p><p class="p1">„Can’t seem to sleep at all recently,” Marta answered with a quiet and soft voice. „Too many things going on around here. How about you? Ready for your next assignment?”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin really enjoyed talking to Marta. She was one of the most soft-spoken and kind people he knew. At least as long as you were on her good side. He heard stories of people who tried to cross her. They never ended well.</p><p class="p1">„Just about ready,” he answered with a smile. „Came here to smoke in peace before I go in to talk to Rhodes.”</p><p class="p1">„Don’t tell me- you have a briefing in twenty minutes?”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. You too?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. Wow. How long has it been since we were sent on a mission together?”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin had to think before answering. It was truly a long time ago.</p><p class="p1">„I don’t know, three months?”</p><p class="p1">„Wow. Time sure flies.”</p><p class="p1">They sat outside for a few more minutes, exchanging some random banter and bickering back and forth about the loadout Joaquin picked for his last rescue operation. When their watches beeped with a meeting reminder, they both got up and went back inside to talk to Rhodes.</p><p class="p1">As soon as they entered the briefing room they noticed four other people there. Paul Rhodes, of course, and Alani Kelso standing right next to him. Roy Benitez was standing next to a wall and Blaze was sitting in one of the chairs.</p><p class="p1">„We’re all here, good,” Kelso spoke, turning on one of the big screens in the room. „Let’s get this over with then.”</p><p class="p1">The screen showed a map of New York, or what was left of it, witch special focus on Manhattan. Kelso zoomed in a little to show four specific districts.</p><p class="p1">„We have reason to believe that Aaron Keener is here, in New York,” she continued after a while. „And we finally have an idea how to get to him. We managed to identify four of his lieutenants, all of them located here,” she pointed to Lower Manhattan, „and we believe that by getting to them we will be able to get to Keener as well.”</p><p class="p1">„Make no mistake though,” Roy Benitez stepped in, positioning himself in front of the screen. „They will not be easy to get to. More so, they know SHD in and out because they're all former First Wave agents. You have to be extra careful. There’s four of them; all details will be available through ISAC after this meeting. Make sure you’re familiar with their factions and backgrounds. They are as deadly as Keener himself.”</p><p class="p1">„We want the three of you to go together,” it was Kelso’s turn to speak again. „Your combined expertise has the highest success possibility. If you want to speak against this plan, do it now or let us continue.”</p><p class="p1">Blaze immediately raised his hand and Roy was fast to notice the gesture.</p><p class="p1">„Yes, Meyer?”</p><p class="p1">„Am I seeing correctly that <em>Parnell </em>is one of Keener’s lieutenants?”</p><p class="p1">"Yes."</p><p class="p1">„Does it mean that…”</p><p class="p1">„It means,” Paul Rhodes suddenly chimed in, not allowing Blaze to finish. „That he is a rogue agent and he will be treated as such. But there is one important thing that needs to be said about Parnell. It’s very possible that one of our own, Anna Clarke, is working with him.”</p><p class="p1">There was complete silence in the room. Martha turned to look at Joaquin and raised her eyebrows questioningly. Who were they talking about? Joaquin shrugged, looking back at the woman. She had no idea either, but Blaze seemed to be very upset.</p><p class="p1">„So she has been marked as rogue after all?” He asked, looking at Rhodes.</p><p class="p1">„No, as you probably know yourself, she is not rogue, her status is currently unknown. We can’t even be sure that she’s still alive. But if she is and if she is in danger, I want Joaquin to step in.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin was suddenly very surprised to hear his name.</p><p class="p1">„Sir?”</p><p class="p1">„You are the best we have when it comes to rescue missions. If she’s in danger, I need you to pull her out.”</p><p class="p1">„And if she’s rogue?” Blaze’s question came immediately after.</p><p class="p1">„If she’s turned rogue then she must be taken care of. Simple as that.”</p><p class="p1">Silence fell in the room again, this time much heavier than just a moment before. Marta decided to do something about it.</p><p class="p1">„I’m assuming you’re putting me on the team based on my experience with explosives,” she said, a reassuring smile present on her lips. „When do you want us to leave? I have to restock on some materials and I need to do some research about the area.”</p><p class="p1">„We don’t want you to leave immediately,” this time it was Kelso’s turn to answer the question. „We want you to prepare as well as you can. We don’t have to leave <em>now</em> but at the same time we have to be fast. I assume two days should be enough for you?”</p><p class="p1">„Perfect,” Marta answered, opening her watch to set a few reminders and place a few orders immediately. „So what location do we go for first?”</p><p class="p1">„I would suggest Two Bridges. Vivian Conley is an important asset for Keener and since she’s working with the Cleaners, it would be like hitting two birds with one stone.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin was really trying to listen, yet somehow it was hard for him to concentrate. What did they mean about the status of an agent being <em>unknown</em>? That’s not really how this works. He did know a thing or two about ISAC and he’s never heard of an <em>unknown</em> agent. He’s heard of rogue agents, sure. That, however, was something new.</p><p class="p1">„Serrano,” Kelso’s voice brought him back to reality again. „I’m sending you all the information I have on Anna. Please make sure you look into them carefully.”</p><p class="p1">„Yes ma’am.”</p><p class="p1">„I also want you to be the leader of this team. You’re the best strategist out of the three. Blaze, you supply the firepower.”</p><p class="p1">„Yes ma’am.”</p><p class="p1">„Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page here. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some requests to process. If you have any questions, talk to Roy or Paul. I’ll see you later.”</p><p class="p1">With that, she left the room and the two men stayed behind, waiting for any additional questions. Blaze was immediately next to Rhodes, showing him something on his screen. Joaquin shot another glance at Marta. She smiled one of her signature smiles and immediately took a laptop out of her bag, completely ignoring any outside interference. Not left with much else to do, Joaquin used one of the tablets available in the briefing room to go through the data he already had on his watch.</p><p class="p1">It was true, he did go through with many rescue operations, but this was something else. This time he was supposed to determine someone’s status before he decides to carry out the mission and he wasn’t too happy with that. It all made sense, sure; yet just thinking about the possibility of looking someone in the eye and asking them about their allegiance before deciding whether to rescue or shoot them didn’t sit right with him at all. Especially since Anna used to be a SHD operative for a very long time. Hell, probably longer than <em>him</em>, judging by the data he was just going through. She was in R&amp;D and contributed greatly to the creation of ISAC, as well as most of the skills he regularly used during his missions. Wow. How was it possible that he’s never heard of her?</p><p class="p1">Roy Benitez approached him then and stopped his train of thought, placing one of his huge hands on his arm.</p><p class="p1">„Hey man,” he said in a quiet voice. „I have to talk to you about something. Can we go outside?”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin nodded and followed the man through one of the exits. They stopped in front of a huge flower planter just outside the door. First green sprouts were already visible, breaking through the soil and reaching for the sun. The sight somehow made Joaquin’s heart a little lighter.</p><p class="p1">„Listen,” Benitez said as soon as they were outside. „I want you to be really careful with Anna. Rhodes is already beating himself up over what happened. Now, I didn’t know her as well as he did, but considering that she was always out for the truth she might have actually turned rogue after all.”</p><p class="p1">„The truth? What do you mean?”</p><p class="p1">„She wouldn’t leave without a reason. She must have found something that made her question the Division’s integrity. And if she really <em>did </em>find something like that, I’m assuming she won’t be the only one turning her back on SHD.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin nodded. He did hear some rumors here and there about how the Division was corrupt and ran by a very shady group. He chose not to get into details though. He was doing his job, keeping people safe, minding his own business. But if there was something to it, if it made people question the organization they have sworn to serve, then maybe the government did have some explaining to do.</p><p class="p1">„I think I know what you mean, sir,” he said, reaching for a cigarette. Benitez shot him a glance that Joaquin immediately recognized as <em>I want one too</em>, so he shared. „I believe what you are trying to say is that this is going to be a very fragile operation and that a lot is going to depend on what we bring back.”</p><p class="p1">„Exactly. You were always a smart man. What I want to tell you is… I don’t even want to think about you <em>not </em>being able to help her. But if <em>anything</em> happens… please make sure to secure the intel. It could make all the difference in the world.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin nodded. He did understand. As cruel and cold-hearted as it might seem, Benitez was just trying to make sure that even if the situation turns sour, they get as much as they can out of it. If Anna survives and decides to come back, great. <em>Probably.</em> If she wants to stay and they have to get rid of her, at least they’ll have her research. It might not have been ideal, but the procedures were very straightforward - especially when it came to dealing with rogue agents.</p><p class="p1">„Understood, sir.”</p><p class="p1">„Good. I knew you’d get it. Come talk to me if you have any questions. I don’t want to make Rhodes even more upset.”</p><p class="p1">With that, Benitez threw the cigarette butt to the ground and retreated back into the building. A little angry, Joaquin bent down and picked up the cigarette butt, throwing it into one of the rubbish bins next to him. Immediately after finishing his cigarette he lit up another one, exhaling a big cloud of smoke. He hated untidiness, no matter who exhibited it. It might have been even more infuriating coming from his higher-ups.</p><p class="p1">It was just one of the things though. He was still a little confused with the mission they were given. Why would an engineer disavow the Division? Something didn’t make sense here. Did she really find something of such grave importance that it would prove to be such a huge change in the approach to SHD if people were to learn about it? If so, why would that be considered treason? She would be doing this country a damn <em>service</em>. The only explanation would be if it wasn’t really about the country, but rather about the government and the people running it. Of course they would want to keep her silent. He was all in when it came to helping the people, that’s true. But he wasn’t going to blindly follow orders given by a bunch of individuals that were never able to see the bigger picture. He did have his own share of questions and things he noticed in the past; it was safe to say that they did not paint a very good picture of the organization as a whole. And of president Ellis, for that matter. Up until now however he didn’t really think he could do anything about it. Maybe he should really look for this Anna, he thought. And maybe instead of securing her intel he should actually listen to what she has to say.</p><p class="p1">He finished another cigarette and decided to call it a day. He had two days to prepare for this mission and he needed to be at his absolute best, especially since they would be going up against Keener and his lieutenants. He needed to check his stock, check his weapons, make sure his skills are still in good shape. Maybe it would be good to review a few aspects of his specialization too. He was going to be pretty busy, but he was always very serious about every single mission they would be sending him on.</p><p class="p1">Especially one that could have such dire consequences.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Change (In the House of Flies)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The black box from Tribeca turns out to be much more than anyone was hoping for.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">„So you were <em>really</em> an RPA pilot?”</p><p class="p1">Anna and Theo have been working on the Tribeca box for a few days now. After successfully managing to open the casing with no loss of data now was the time to decrypt the files stored inside. The method of encryption was a bizarre combination of a few solutions linked by ISAC and unlockable by higher authorization levels, but it wasn’t something Anna wouldn’t be able to work around. By continuously breaking walls inside ISAC’s databases she was also able to access some data that would have previously been obscured. She didn’t really care about breaching the security systems now though. Nothing she did would change her current situation so she was planning to exploit it to the fullest. Sure, they won’t be able to link the breach to <em>her</em>, but then again, Paul Rhodes was <em>definitely </em>going to know who was behind it.</p><p class="p1">„I was, but… hey, <em>are you looking me up</em>?!” Theo was obviously not amused with the fact that she used this newfound access to dig around his past.</p><p class="p1">„Of course I am. And I am <em>impressed</em>. The data I had on you previously was limited to some basic information, but <em>this</em>? I’m not surprised they recruited you.”</p><p class="p1">She noticed Theo blush a little and it unknowingly made her smile.</p><p class="p1">„Whatever,” He said after a while, trying to hide the blush by turning around and pretending to busy himself with his laptop. „It’s not like any of this matters now. What’s in the past is in the past. There’s no coming back to that.”</p><p class="p1">„Would you like to? I mean, if you could?”</p><p class="p1">This question caught him a little off guard. He paused for a moment, trying to find the correct answer.</p><p class="p1">„No. I don’t think I would. Not knowing what I know now.”</p><p class="p1">„I miss these days sometimes, you know. When I was focused on ideals and working for the greater good. I mean, before I realized that the greater good they were trying to feed us was actually a farce. Some say ignorance is bliss and I have to say I agree with that. Especially when it comes to fucking <em>politics</em>.”</p><p class="p1">Theo snorted at that and moved closer to Anna, sitting in a chair next to her and focusing on the screen in front of them.</p><p class="p1">„I <em>hated</em> politics and everything around it. I didn’t really have a choice though, with my father being a senator and all. I always had to be involved.”</p><p class="p1">„I imagine it must have been hard for you. Especially as a kid.”</p><p class="p1">„It was. I mean, being both a senator’s kid <em>and</em> a black kid? I didn’t really have… many friends. I loved my father, but he… well, he sent me to a <em>psychiatrist </em>because he thought I was being paranoid and obsessive while I just wanted to be <em>the best</em>. I wanted him to be proud of me. I mean, how could I not have been <em>careful</em> with so many people around us waiting for a single mistake on <em>my</em> side to bring <em>him</em> down? It was… hard. And I made <em>a lot</em> of mistakes then that I’m not really proud of today.”</p><p class="p1">Anna turned her head a little to look at Theo. She could hear something grim underneath his usually cheerful demeanor. It suddenly hit her how she doesn’t really know <em>anything </em>about him. Except for a few things that can be found in the files, yes. But not really about <em>him.</em></p><p class="p1">„I’m really sorry you had to go through that, Theo.” She said after a while, surprised with the unusual softness in her voice.</p><p class="p1">Theo finally looked at her then, a small smile visible on his lips.</p><p class="p1">„It’s alright. It was a long time ago. I have moved on from hacking teacher’s cars to hacking government databases since then.”</p><p class="p1">„Excuse me, you did <em>what</em>?”</p><p class="p1">He laughed at that, covering his mouth with his hand.</p><p class="p1">„I mean, this <em>is </em>one stunt that I’m still a little proud of. It was around midterms and there was this teacher who <em>hated </em>me for no apparent reason. Somebody must have bought him off to discredit my father by going after me. And when I got my grades it turned out I was fourth in my class. <em>Fourth</em>! There was no way this could have been true. So I wanted to take a look at the test myself. They were in my teacher’s car and I wanted to hack the door control system to get it open. I wasn’t that good at it then and it went into gear by mistake. The car drove into the lake and my father was <em>furious</em>.”</p><p class="p1"><em>Oh my God. </em>Anna could have only imagined the look on the teacher’s face when they realized what happened. It was hard for her to control the laughter that almost made her suffocate. Theo started laughing as well.</p><p class="p1">„I wish I could have seen that,” she said after a while, noticing a stray tear falling down her cheek due to excessive laughter. She couldn’t remember when was the last time it happened to her and it made her feel surprisingly <em>good</em>.</p><p class="p1">„Oh. About that. I posted a video of this online. And some hacking tutorials. Some media outlets got wind of this and connected it to me. I’ve never seen my father so angry. Let’s just say it wasn’t my best moment.”</p><p class="p1">Anna shook her head with disbelief. He really was <em>incredible</em>.</p><p class="p1">„I can relate to the test story,” She said after a while. „I once had an argument with a professor about the use of carbon fiber. The finale might not have been this epic, but damn, he hated me so much after that. He would dump the hardest tasks on me and well, generally just try to prove that I didn’t belong at MIT. So I was always prepared <em>so well</em> he had <em>no way</em> to ask me a question I didn’t know an answer to. He would of course still try to discredit me in front of the entire group too, just to make sure they would be able to witness my defeat. And year after year, it would always be the same. Until I finally graduated and he didn’t even say a word. I sent him a copy of my first publication two years later. <em>And </em>a glitter bomb. I heard it was quite enjoyable to see him try and wrestle with glitter.”</p><p class="p1">Theo laughed at that again, this time much more sincerely.</p><p class="p1">„<em>Please</em> tell me you have that on video.”</p><p class="p1">„Unfortunately not. But I always imagine it when I’m having a bad day.”</p><p class="p1">At that, Anna turned towards the screen for a second. The files were through most of the encryption loops; there was just one more alphabet they had to run for some final touches. In about an hour they should be ready to finally review the files.</p><p class="p1">„I didn’t tell you the whole truth, you know. When I contacted you.”</p><p class="p1">Theo’s statement suddenly brought Anna back to reality.</p><p class="p1">„What do you mean?” She asked, her mind slowly unwrapping from around the code.</p><p class="p1">„I <em>did</em> know you earlier. I mean, I knew your <em>work</em>. I just didn’t know you were the person behind it. When I was an agent, I didn’t really have much to do with R&amp;D except for a few times they asked me to help with ISAC and the drones. But I always admired the technology behind the skills. I mean, the <em>seeker mines</em>? The shield? Hell, the <em>hive</em>? I was obsessed with these. Whenever I would take them with me on a mission I would try to pick them apart and see how they worked. I was never able to figure out the hive and the mines though. So I started looking for a digital signature that would lead me to the person responsible for the technology but I could never find it. And then the First Wave shit happened and I just… forgot, I guess. But when I started working on some stuff I found some old R&amp;D listings. And your name was there. And I connected the dots. I <em>really </em>wanted to get in touch with you.”</p><p class="p1">Hearing all this made Anna feel a little strange. It was hard to say whether it was a good or a bad feeling.</p><p class="p1">„Why?”</p><p class="p1">„I don’t know. Probably just out of curiosity. Then because I thought that we might share a common goal. Especially when I noticed you rummaging through ISAC. Turns out I was right. Although I did think you were a guy at first.”</p><p class="p1">„Most people do.”</p><p class="p1">„I imagined you to be a boring old dude with a superiority complex.”</p><p class="p1">„Funny you should said that. Some of my acquaintances actually <em>did</em> characterize me as… <em>presumptuous</em>. And boring.”</p><p class="p1">„<em>You?</em>”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. Apparently I’m not that fun to be around. I talk too much and I get excited too easily. Especially when it comes to my work.”</p><p class="p1">Theo was not able to hide the amusement in his gaze and it made Anna feel a little too exposed. Twenty minutes to go for decryption. She decided to change the subject.</p><p class="p1">„Are you really working with Aaron Keener?” She asked after a while, turning in her chair to face away from Theo.</p><p class="p1">„I’m… I’m working <em>for </em>him. Not with him.”</p><p class="p1">„You do realize how dangerous that is? I mean, I’ve never met him, but I heard the stories. And I’ve seen the files. And my… my friends died under his command right before he went rogue.”</p><p class="p1">She heard Theo exhale and move behind her back. He stood up and approached her again, leaning on the desk she was sitting at. So much for trying to avoid eye contact.</p><p class="p1">„He needed my help,” he said, looking straight into her eyes. „And he promised me information in return. Information I really need.”</p><p class="p1">„Don’t you think that he might be using you? And that he doesn’t really <em>have </em>the information he promised?”</p><p class="p1">„I do think that might be a possibility, actually. But he’s my only option right now. I’ve looked <em>everywhere </em>and I still can’t access what I want most. And I really need to know.”</p><p class="p1">„What is it that you need to know?”</p><p class="p1">„Who gave the order to kill my father. I want to see it with my own eyes.And who fabricated the evidence later. My own <em>family </em>stopped talking to me because I couldn’t prove what I <em>knew </em>to be true. I just… I just want peace. That’s all. And I owe it to him.”</p><p class="p1">Anna suddenly felt her chest constrict with worry. Theo was going to get himself killed. All the people ever working with Keener did, the man hated loose ends. She had to do something about it. Hell, she owed him her <em>life</em>. It was the least she could do.</p><p class="p1">„What if <em>I </em>helped you get the data?” She asked, her voice suddenly much quieter. „After we’re done here. I can help you. And you can cut ties with Keener.”</p><p class="p1">Theo smiled at that, but the look in his eyes was still sad.</p><p class="p1">„I would have liked that a lot. Unfortunately Keener already approached me and asked for my help. I can’t just leave now. I can try and escape the Division, but I can’t escape Keener. Not anymore.”</p><p class="p1">They sat in silence for a while, the only sound in the room coming from the computers and servers in the background. Anna suddenly felt a heavy weight in her chest, growing more painful with every passing second. She liked Theo. She didn’t want him to get hurt. Somehow she felt like they have actually known each other for a long time. She hasn’t really connected with anyone for the past what, two, three years? She really <em>did </em>want him to be safe.</p><p class="p1">„What are you working on for Keener?” She finally asked, looking at the man again.</p><p class="p1">„I’m not telling you. And I’m <em>not</em> letting you help. This is entirely on me.”</p><p class="p1">„I just… want to know if it’s safe.”</p><p class="p1">He looked at her then, a strange look in his eyes she couldn’t decipher.</p><p class="p1">„It is for me.” He said, adjusting his glasses a little. „Please don’t worry.”</p><p class="p1">Easier said than done, idiot, she thought. At the same time a notification went up on the screen telling them that the decryption was done and she immediately rushed to the desk, Theo right behind her; suddenly far too close for her to be comfortable.</p><p class="p1">„Is this what I think it is?” He asked, leaning over her shoulder and pointing at the screen.</p><p class="p1">„It’s an ECHO,” she said, reaching for a tablet and going through the content of the package. „I mean, not an <em>actual </em>ECHO. It’s a voice recording of an ECHO. What the hell?”</p><p class="p1">„Can we play it?”</p><p class="p1">„Not yet. Give me a second.”</p><p class="p1">Anna quickly ran a diagnostic tool through ISAC, making sure to overlay the location Theo found the black box at with the map of Lower Manhattan. It has officially been known that all remaining ECHOs have already been located by Division agents. This one, however, has not been listed in any database. There was only one possible explanation for this.</p><p class="p1">„Somebody must have erased the ECHO,” she said after a while, going through audio encryption options. „And somebody else must have recorded it to make sure it didn’t disappear completely.”</p><p class="p1">„Should we get Dragov?”</p><p class="p1">„Call him. We’ll be ready to listen to it in a minute.”</p><p class="p1">Theo radioed James Dragov and asked him to come to the room they were working at and the man was there in <em>seconds</em>.</p><p class="p1">„Do you have any news?” He asked immediately, not even bothering with a greeting.</p><p class="p1">„We managed to decrypt the file. It’s an audio recording of an ECHO,” Theo explained. „We figured you might want to be here when we listen to it.”</p><p class="p1">Dragov hummed and crossed his arms against his chest, leaning against the wall. Without any unnecessary delay Anna decided to play the file.</p><p class="p1">At first there wasn’t much to listen to. Some background noise, people walking against dirt. But then there was one voice. And another. She recognized both immediately.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>- What the hell is going on here? Didn’t we ask for additional forces to secure the perimeter?</em>
</p><p class="p1">- <em>We did, sir. The agents are occupied in the quarantine zone. We couldn’t spare any more at this time.</em></p><p class="p1">
  <em>- Do you think I care about the quarantine zone? I want two additional agents for every section. Just like we discussed.</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>- With all due respect, sir… the agents are needed elsewhere. They need to make sure the quarantine zone is taken care of. That no more people die.</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>- And I need to make sure that America’s best and brightest are safe from the Rikers and those fucking Cleaners. You need to make sure that Tribeca is sealed off and nobody gets in. I need to make preparations for evacuation. After that the agents can do whatever they want.</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>- Sir, we need those agents. They are not you private army.</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>- Watch your tone, Rhodes. You seem to be forgetting that these families are the ones paying for all this.</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">„Was that… Ellis and Paul Rhodes?” Theo spoke first, still taking a while to process what he just heard.</p><p class="p1">„<em>That fucker,</em>” Dragov suddenly moved closer to the screen, anger obvious in his voice. „I knew it! I knew he was using the Division however he pleased. But this, hearing him actually <em>admit</em> that shit? He’s going <em>down </em>for this.”</p><p class="p1">„Wait,” Anna chimed in suddenly. „Didn’t he say something about families from Tribeca <em>paying for all this</em>? And by <em>this </em>meaning The Division? Is this…”</p><p class="p1">„… what we’ve been suspecting for a while now?” Theo added immediately. „That there’s a mysterious group of profiteers pulling the strings at SHD? Fuck, I wish there was more information on this.”</p><p class="p1">„There might be,” Dragov seemed as if he just remembered something. „Fuck, there might be. I’d have to get in touch with the people who were with me in Tribeca, but <em>shit</em>… we spent so much time there that somebody must have noticed something. Most of them are dead by now, but I still might be able to get to at least four of them.”</p><p class="p1">„That could work,” Anna used the tablet to open a map of Tribeca. „Can you roughly show me where your teams were stationed? I can plan to retrieve some data as soon as I divide the area into zones. We can use an overlay to try and retrieve whatever has been scrapped by ISAC, just like this ECHO. I don’t know if we’ll be able to find anything, but we can at least try.”</p><p class="p1">„Sure. Here, here… and here. There were also two teams patrolling the streets from here and here,” Dragov used his fingers to mark the spots on the map. „Wow, you’re really good at this, cupcake.”</p><p class="p1">„<em>Please </em>don’t call me that,” Anna rolled her eyes as Dragov laughed at her.</p><p class="p1">„Alright, sorry. Just… good job. I really appreciate it. Tribeca is still, how do you say it in America, a thorn in my heart? I lost many good people there. People who were stationed there to <em>protect the fucking rich</em> while those who actually needed help were dying in quarantine zones.”</p><p class="p1">„I get what you mean... and I’m glad I could help,” Anna answered with a plain smile. „Now could you <em>please </em>remove this shit from my leg? I think I have already proven that I’m more on your side than SHD’s.”</p><p class="p1">„That’s true,” Dragov said then, placing a hand on Anna’s arm and retreating immediately after a sharp hiss of pain escaped her lips. „Shit, sorry, I forgot. Anyway. There’s a party tonight. Come downstairs and join us. You guys have earned it. And we’ll take care of the tracker then.”</p><p class="p1">With that he left the room, leaving Anna and Theo by themselves.</p><p class="p1">„Wow,” Theo said after a while, sitting down again. „That was really something. I didn’t think we’d be able to find <em>anything</em> this big.”</p><p class="p1">„Do you think we should go public with this?”</p><p class="p1">Theo seemed surprised with Anna’s question.</p><p class="p1">„Why?”</p><p class="p1">„I don’t know. I just… I already had a chance to do it once. After I found some missing reports on prisoner torture. But they stopped me, telling me that I should let it go <em>for the good of the Division</em>. I’m still thinking that maybe I should have just released all the information I had back then.”</p><p class="p1">Theo moved closer to her again then, obviously ignoring her personal space in the process.</p><p class="p1">„I don’t think we should,” he said, looking her in the eyes. „At this point it could do more bad than good. We don’t want them to know that we’re onto them. I mean, if they have the resources, they can easily deflect whatever we throw at them. It would be best to plan this carefully, I think. And wait for more information. With Dragov’s help, we might just be able to crack this.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded, but didn’t say anything. She knew Theo was right. It was the rational thing to do. Still, something deep inside her just wanted to scream all of this out for the entire world to hear.</p><p class="p1">„You’re right,” she said after a while. „Sorry.”</p><p class="p1">„And about those torture reports… I’ve seen them too. And trust me, when the time comes we can still use them to strengthen our cause.”</p><p class="p1">„Don’t tell me you have a copy. I thought Paul Rhodes destroyed all the evidence, including the digital keys.”</p><p class="p1">„No. He hasn’t. And I was looking into them because… well, one of my <em>acquaintances </em>has been tortured after being taken in by the Division.”</p><p class="p1">She raised her eyebrow in a questioning gesture.</p><p class="p1">„Who?”</p><p class="p1">„Javier Kajika. I don’t know if you’ve heard of him, but he was working Black Ops for a long time before he joined. He left the Division when JTF basically forced him to choose between going rogue and staying alive. It’s a long story; he has been on a crusade to murder everyone involved ever since. Can’t say I blame him. Anyway,” Theo took the tablet away from Anna’s hand and opened a different file, showing her the screen. Anna could see a picture of a man in his mid forties, tall, well-built, but not much more than that; he was heavily beaten, almost his entire face covered in blood. She froze at the sight, remembering that she’s already seen those images before. „They managed to capture him. I have no idea how, he’s usually <em>impossible </em>to even <em>track</em>, and I’m the one saying it. They wanted information out of him, mostly about Keener as they have been in the same squad. And about the JTF members he’s already killed. Of course he gave them nothing, but I believe you already know this.”</p><p class="p1">„I do,” Anna felt an unpleasant shiver run down her spine at the memory of the contents of these reports. „So Faye Lau gave the order to start torturing him.”</p><p class="p1">„Exactly.”</p><p class="p1">„But he managed to escape.”</p><p class="p1">„Barely. He would have been dead the next day if he didn’t.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded. This and a few other cases were the reason why she wanted to go public with what she found in the first place. The Division was not supposed to use any illegal means to obtain information from detainees. Especially such hardcore torturing methods.</p><p class="p1">„I’m glad you still have that,” she said after a while when she was finally able to collect her thoughts. „It could come in handy one day.”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. But let’s not think about it now. We have a party to go to.”</p><p class="p1">„Do we have to?”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. I mean, I don’t really want to see what happens if I refuse anything Dragov asks of me.”</p><p class="p1">„Fair point.”</p><p class="p1">Anna wanted to say something else and ask Theo to write down a plan for what they were going to do next, but Theo surprised her by suddenly placing both of his hands on her shoulders, purposefully avoiding the spot that was still painful because of the gunshot. She immediately froze in place, looking at him with questioning eyes.</p><p class="p1">„Were you serious when you said that you could help me find out what happened to my dad?” He asked suddenly, the tone of his voice completely different. The intensity of his gaze was almost <em>burning</em>. It actually scared her a little.</p><p class="p1">„Yes, I was.” She answered after a while, still a little overwhelmed with too much physical contact. „I want to help you. I mean, seeing how much it means to you.”</p><p class="p1">„Even if I won’t be able to abandon my work for Keener?”</p><p class="p1">„Reluctantly, but yes.”</p><p class="p1">„Thank you.” He smiled again then. „It... it would really mean a lot to me. But I don't really have anything to give you in return.”</p><p class="p1">"I'm not offering to do this because I want something in return, Theo."</p><p class="p1">"I know. I just... if there is ever anything I could do for you, just let me know. Not that you couldn't do stuff by yourself, just... I don't know, something boring or mundane? I'll do anything. I'll be your guy."</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded and moved away from him, thinking <em>run away from Keener and I’ll be more than happy</em>, but she already knew it was definitely not going to happen.</p><p class="p1">She couldn’t shake the feeling that working for this maniac was far more dangerous than Theo actually understood.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Haunt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What if one's reason to go rogue is actually a good one?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">VIDEO EVIDENCE NO 187/2121/16B</p><p class="p1">LOCATION: NEW YORK</p><p class="p1">VIDEO TAG: UNKNOWN</p><p class="p1">SUBJECT: JAVIER KAJIKA, STATUS: ROGUE</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">The room was dark and silent, no distinctive furniture to be seen apart from a table and two chairs on its opposite sides. A yellowish lightbulb was the only flickering source of light, making the room appear far darker than it actually was. A man could be seen sitting in one of the chairs wearing nothing more than underwear and a dark t-shirt, hands cuffed behind his back. The quality of the video was not perfect, yet it was obvious that the man was in a lot of pain. Blood was trickling down his face, coming from a cut in his brow and from his nose. His lips were parted and gasping for air as he was visibly struggling to breathe. It was obvious that there might be more wounds and bruises on his body but there was no way to confirm this based on this specific footage.</p><p class="p1">The door opened suddenly and a fully armed figure entered the room, looming over the man. The first words uttered by the individual were almost inaudible as the microphone was located closer to the door. Moving a little to the left however it became obvious that one - the character was Faye Lau, and two - judging by her facial expression the words she just said were not pleasant or reassuring at all.</p><p class="p1">„I need you to tell me two things and I don’t have time for any bullshit,” she said, placing her gloved hand behind the man’s head, „first of all, I want to know where Keener is. Second of all, I want you to tell me everything you know about the Black Tusk and their supply routes in NYC.”</p><p class="p1">The man spat on the floor, blinking fast a few times and trying to regain his composure.</p><p class="p1">„I have no idea about the Black Tusk,” he said after a while, strain painfully obvious in his voice. „But even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. As for Keener, <em>fuck you</em>.”</p><p class="p1">Faye brought his head forward then, <em>fast</em>, making it connect with the table in one swift motion of her hand. A loud <em>thud </em>resonated within the room, the sound almost as painful as the visual. The man took a raspy breath and groaned, but there was no follow-up on his side.</p><p class="p1">„I asked you a question and I’m not letting you off the hook until you answer,” Faye added after a while. „Let’s get this straight. You don’t give me answers, you die. You give me answers, you survive. Locked up, yes, but alive. What’s it gonna be?”</p><p class="p1">The man looked up at her, a challenging smile visible on his lips.</p><p class="p1">„I’m guessing you already know the answer. I’m not telling you shit.”</p><p class="p1">She kicked his leg then, making him scream in pain this time. It was obvious she has just irritated an older injury in some way. His body spasmed and he let his head fall onto the table again, trying to hide the painful expression on his face.</p><p class="p1">„Alright, you fucker,” Faye was immediately on the other side of him, taking a knife out of her holster and holding it close to his ear. „I guess the guys didn’t have enough fun with you yesterday and you’re still trying to show off. Not with me. You tell me what I need to know or this conversation is going to turn ugly in a<em> second</em>. I <em>know </em>you were in touch with the Black Tusk when they arrived here. I have that on record. I also know that you’re working with Keener. What I don’t know is the details of your arrangement and his current location. So if you don’t tell me what I want to know, you’re going back to the box and back to the guys.”</p><p class="p1">The man took a deep breath, trying to hold himself upright despite the pain.</p><p class="p1">„You really think you can scare me? You’re obviously forgetting who I am. What I can do. What I <em>have </em>done. You’re not getting <em>shit </em>from me, Lau.”</p><p class="p1">„I know <em>exactly</em> who you are,” she whispered through gritted teeth. „You’re a worthless piece of shit on a personal vendetta against people who were just following orders. Against people who have done nothing wrong.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh, that’s just <em>golden</em>,” the sound he made seemed almost like a laugh. „Are you really <em>that</em> naive? Or that stupid? Do you really think that they <em>have done nothing wrong</em>? Jesus, woman. They’re either hiding <em>a lot </em>of stuff from you or you’re far worse than I am.”</p><p class="p1">„They told me you would be trying to manipulate me. I’m not falling for that.”</p><p class="p1">„I have no reason to manipulate you. I just thought you would be <em>smarter</em>.”</p><p class="p1">Faye Lau hit him hard then, her fist connecting with his face in a powerful blow. He gasped but made no other sound.</p><p class="p1">„I’m <em>not </em>letting you play me. The arrangement we have here is simple. You tell me what I need to know. If you don’t, I’m going to make you regret that decision. That’s it. You have ten seconds to tell me what I need to know. After that you’re getting back into the box.”</p><p class="p1">The man was silent and unmoving, the only sound in the room being the steady drip of blood coming from his mouth bleeding over the table. Faye waited, arms crossed in front of her chest, her expression unreadable. Ten seconds passed and she hit the man again, this time even harder, making him struggle to breathe. She forced him to get up and out of the room, shoving him hard against the door. Two agents took him away then and she sat down with her face hidden behind her hands, breathing deeply beneath the cover, her entire body shaking.</p><p class="p1">She was crying.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Cleaning up after Vivian Conley was not an easy task. Making their way through the abandoned cargo ship was tedious, taking on Vivian and the Cleaners was even worse. With fire everywhere and Vivian’s traps on the decks Joaquin felt exhausted. His face was covered in sweat and dust, his skin prickling from the constant heat everywhere around them and the freshly stitched cut on his cheek still hurting. He was desperate to make his way back to Haven as soon as possible; unfortunately they still had to secure the location and make sure that they swept it clean, leaving nothing important behind. He was eternally grateful for the water that the allies brought them all the way from the Brooklyn Bridge control point as soon as the area was safe. He almost felt like it was the most delicious and the most refreshing beverage he’s had in his entire life.</p><p class="p1">It was a good decision to bring Marta along. With her expertise with explosives she was able to disarm most of the traps, and what she wasn’t able to work with she at least warned them about. She did get her leg burnt in the process, but it was nothing Joaquin wouldn’t be able to fix with the special band-aids they had in Haven. For now Marta was sitting on one of the crates and pouring cold water over her leg. As soon as more reinforcements from the nearest control point arrive they should be able to escort her back. Joaquin also tasked Blaze with transporting Vivian Conley. She was incapacitated and handcuffed, ready to be taken back to Haven as a prisoner. It wasn’t easy to take her down, but their orders were clear: <em>take them alive if possible</em>. Vivian was a tough opponent to catch and will probably be even tougher to actually interrogate. This, however, was not Joaquin’s problem anymore. Agent Kelso will make the decision regarding what should happen to the woman. They were just supposed to deliver her to Haven; after that their role will be over. SHD will extract the intel that would probably take them one step closer to capturing Keener. Or not. There were still other accomplices of Keener they had to take care of and they were definitely not going to be any easier to hunt. If Vivian was anything to go by, they were definitely in for a hell of a pursuit. For that, Joaquin needed a good night’s sleep, a nutritious meal and another run through their strategy. He groaned, sitting down on the floor and reaching for another bottle of water. He didn’t get paid <em>nearly</em> enough for this. Usually the thought that he was helping the weak was enough to get him through the day, but sometimes on days like this he was actually questioning his resolve. Not because of the money, no. Mostly because of the fact that he had no idea if he was actually making a difference. Catching a dangerous individual? No problem. Still, he had no way of knowing what was going to happen afterwards and what SHD was going to do with the intel. What will they learn from what they gather? Were they just going to go for Keener? Or were they planning to do something that would explain why agents turn rogue? Maybe something that would make a change in the system, make people believe that SHD was doing the right thing, something that would stop them from turning away from the organization they have sworn to give their lives to? Joaquin couldn’t stop thinking that SHD was most likely doing the wrong thing here. That maybe instead of focusing on hunting rogue agents they should be focusing on <em>why </em>they turn rogue and eliminate the reason behind it, the reason in their own ranks. Sure, individuals like Keener were incredibly dangerous. But <em>why </em>did he turn in the first place? Why did <em>so many</em> turn in the first place? It wasn’t just the First Wave agents. It was many more than that, probably including Anna Clarke, the brains behind the muscles. If people like <em>her </em>were turning away, it couldn’t mean well for SHD. <em>Damn</em>, he needed to know. And he already made the decision to look into it as deeply as possible.</p><p class="p1">The sweep was tiring, but at some point he started doing it on auto-pilot, his mind elsewhere and already planning the next steps. First, he had to do some digging inside ISAC’s databases. His access level might not be that high, but he should still be able to find <em>something </em>that would point him in the right direction. Second, he had to find a way to contact this Anna. He somehow had a feeling that she could give him more answers than the entire SHD ever will.</p><p class="p1">When he was finally back at Haven he took a long shower, finally relaxing his sore muscles and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> ultimately ending up </span>feeling much better. He still needed to rest and eat a proper meal, but <em>man </em>did the shower do wonders. Drying his hair with a towel and putting on a fresh pair of sweatpants he made his way to the canteen, hoping to grab something edible on his way to one of the common areas. To his surprise the curry and rice they were serving that day was actually good; it even had some damn <em>cashews </em>inside. With his stomach full and a can of soda in his hand Joaquin finally sat down on one of the couches and decided to go through what he already had. He needed to prepare for his next assignment <em>and </em>do some digging on the rogue agents.</p><p class="p1">James Dragov seemed like an individual he wouldn’t want to cross. Leading the Rikers and cooped up in the Financial District, it would most likely be impossible to get in touch with him. What he had in the database was scarce; just some information on his black market operations and his background as a cop. It was actually surprising to see him turn rogue with the background he had. Still, there was no information as to what finally made him snap. It would be good if he could somehow find this information.</p><p class="p1">Theo Parnell was an enigma. A smart but elusive guy, master of deception and decoys, there would probably be no way to find him unless he <em>wanted </em>to be found. Apparently Anna was seen meeting with him and honestly, this didn’t seem surprising at all. They had a very similar area of expertise and most likely a similar approach to lies and facades. It would be best if he could get to Anna directly, but the case with her was most likely similar to Parnell. They were hiding from the Division and they were suspicious of anyone from SHD. There would be no way to get in touch with her easily. He needed to find another way.</p><p class="p1">Javier Kajika seemed like the best choice. Ex Black Ops, a man with a military background, incredibly efficient and an absolute master of stealth. He didn’t even try to hide where he was. According to SHD data, he was currently located somewhere around Pathway Park, using the area as his personal playground. There was a note saying that he might be the most dangerous out of the entire group. Well, he <em>might</em> be. Looking at the data Joaquin had on him, he also might have been the one with the most useful information.</p><p class="p1">Of course there was not enough data on Javier in SHD databases. The only thing he knew was that he turned rogue when JTF betrayed him during a mission and left him either to die or turn rogue if he didn’t comply with the rules. Apparently Javier was on a hunt for all those responsible for what happened to him. There were two options there - either Joaquin could use it to his advantage and actually talk to the guy or he would be killed on the spot for even mentioning it. He was definitely hoping for the former. It could give him leverage to actually get what he wants.</p><p class="p1">Reading more about Kajika’s recruitment process he suddenly noticed a notification on his watch, showing an incoming e-mail from an unknown sender. He frowned. He wasn’t expecting any messages at this point and new intel always showed up in the system automatically. Intrigued, he tapped the watch with his finger. ISAC’s comment made it even more suspicious.</p><p class="p1">„Message received,” he said with his usual robotic demeanor. „Origin: Unknown. Attachments: Unknown. Sender: A friend. Status: Safe.”</p><p class="p1"><em>A friend</em>? Something strange was going on here, the rational side of his brain telling him <em>not </em>to open the message and delete it immediately, possibly alerting his superior officers in the process. But recently there has also been this <em>other </em>side of his brain, the one that would tell him to question and undermine. So he made sure he had his earphones in and decided to open the message after all. To his surprise, there were just two lines of text and a video file titled VIDEO EVIDENCE NO 187/2121/16B.</p><p class="p1">„Make your own decisions,” the text said, „and your own choices”.</p><p class="p1">The message was sent by Theo Parnell.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">It wasn’t easy to get to Pathway Park unnoticed, but Joaquin made sure to make up a good excuse in the line of „gathering intel” before leaving Haven on his own. Of course he had to log in at his location but at this point he already knew he didn’t have to worry about any digital footprints. SHD was going to think that he went on a regular recon mission and that his known locations were in a five mile radius from the center. His <em>friend </em>made sure of that. What was left for <em>him </em>though was to actually locate Kajika and try to talk to him. Which might have been crazy, yes, but he has long since made up his mind that nothing was going to change without a little <em>crazy</em>.</p><p class="p1">The entrance was open and unguarded, already raising Joaquin’s suspicions, but it was too late to go back now. He made a conscious choice to carry as little weapons as possible, trying every trick in his book to appear friendly. Entering the building he still felt a little uneasy, but tried to keep his composure. Step after step without encountering any adversaries he started thinking that maybe this was not a good idea after all. That maybe he should still turn back while there is time. At this point however he felt a gun pressed against his back.</p><p class="p1">„What are you doing here alone, agent?” He heard a strong accent behind him and immediately froze in place. „Your squad left you here to die alone?”</p><p class="p1">„Not really,” it was weird for him to hear the tremble in his own voice, „I’m here to talk to Javier Kajika. I have important information for him.”</p><p class="p1">„Cool. You can give the information to me. And leave before I decide to shoot you.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin sighed and put his hands up in the air.</p><p class="p1">„Listen, I will only talk to him in person. If he’s not here, I can wait. But I really need to talk to him. It’s important.”</p><p class="p1">The man moved then, still holding Joaquin at gunpoint. He circled around him and stood right in front of him, pointing the gun at his face now.</p><p class="p1">„I don’t know about that. Let’s ask the boss then, shall we?”</p><p class="p1">His equipment was clearly that of a Cleaner. That got Joaquin wondering. Did they know what happened to Vivian? She was their leader after all. Or maybe it was still too soon and they didn’t really see eye to eye much?</p><p class="p1">„Please do,” he answered, voice quiet but steady. „As I said, I can wait.”</p><p class="p1">The man took out his walkie-talkie and radioed Javier.</p><p class="p1">„Boss, we have a visitor here. A Division agent. He wants to talk to you. Over.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin couldn’t really understand what Javier answered in return, but considering that the man simply put the walkie-talkie away and didn’t shoot him immediately it probably meant that the man would actually come and talk to him. That, or he would send an execution squad. Joaquin was hoping it wouldn’t come to that though.</p><p class="p1">After what felt like eternity a hooded figure appeared in his line of sight, approaching slowly and carrying a machete. Joaquin couldn’t make out the features of the individual but judging from the height and posture it was probably Kajika himself. He’s only seen him in the video though and he wasn’t really at his best then.</p><p class="p1">Finally Javier approached them and stared Joaquin down immediately, probably trying to determine if he was possibly a threat. His gaze was cold and lifeless, actually making Joaquin a little anxious. It was definitely the man he saw in the video though. No longer bloody and bruised, but definitely the same.</p><p class="p1">„This better be worth my time,” Javier said then, a little impatience audible in his voice. „I don’t have time for any bullshit, Agent. Remember you’re on my mercy now.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin nodded. Kajika <em>was </em>intimidating. Not only due to his height, but also his general demeanor.</p><p class="p1">„It will be. Can we please talk alone?”</p><p class="p1">Javier eyed the equipment Joaquin brought with him and gestured at the Cleaner aiming at the man’s head. The guy quickly took off any remaining equipment Joaquin had, including the knives hidden in his shoes. As soon as Javier nodded, the guy gathered everything in his arms and left, leaving Joaquin completely defenseless and on Javier’s mercy.</p><p class="p1">„I’m gonna need this on my way back,” Joaquin said then, trying to appear more confident than he already was.</p><p class="p1">„We’ll see about that in a second. Now tell me why you’re here. In details.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin sighed. He played this conversation out in his head multiple times and yet it still felt odd to be saying the words.</p><p class="p1">„I found some stuff in regard to the Division that I’m not comfortable with. It concerns who they call Warlords of New York, which is the team currently working with Keener. Including you. SHD marked you as rogue agents meant for incapacitation or termination, but it doesn’t sit quite right with me. I want to know if what I heard about you is true. I want to know if SHD and JTF really did a number on you and left you to die. I don’t…”</p><p class="p1">„Let me stop you right here,” Javier interrupted Joaquin with a machete against his throat. „I have no idea what your agenda is, but I swear to God if you came here to try and fucking <em>interrogate </em>me…”</p><p class="p1">„I didn’t”, Joaquin waved his hands a little, still holding them int he air. „I came here because I thought you might be right. I want to understand. That’s all.”</p><p class="p1">There was a pause then, Javier obviously deciding whether he could actually trust the man or not. The machete was unfortunately still close to Joaquin’s neck.</p><p class="p1">„How can I know you’re telling the truth and not just trying to play me?”</p><p class="p1">„I saw a recording of your interrogation. And evidence of torture. And information about what JTF did to your squad. Information sent to me by <em>another </em>rogue agent, Theo Parnell. Telling me to make my own decisions. So I decided to come here. Because if it’s all true, there’s no more room for me in the Division.”</p><p class="p1">Kajika hesitated then. Joaquin knew the man could tell that he was telling the truth. Now it was the question of his reaction that made him once again wonder whether he made the right choice by coming here.</p><p class="p1">„Parnell really needs to start minding his own business,” Javier sighed after what seemed like eternity.</p><p class="p1">„I don’t know about that. What I do know is that if what I found is true, SHD should be held accountable for their actions. And so should the JTF.”</p><p class="p1">„If you know <em>so much about me</em>,” Kajika’s tone was a little mocking now, „then you probably know that it’s <em>exactly what I’m doing</em>.”</p><p class="p1">„I know that you’re hunting the JTF officials that put you in the position you were in. And killing them.”</p><p class="p1">„That’s the same thing.”</p><p class="p1">„Am I allowed to say that it’s not or are you going to cut me with this thing?”</p><p class="p1">Javier rolled his eyes but finally put the machete down, securing it firmly on his back.</p><p class="p1">„Why are you <em>really </em>here?” He asked after a while, still eyeing Joaquin with suspicion, but his body seemed to be more relaxed now. „I don’t really understand what you’re trying to achieve.”</p><p class="p1">„I’m trying to confirm what really happened and what SHD and the JTF are hiding from the public. I want them to admit their wrongdoings and to bring them to justice. And if they won’t comply, I want to expose them myself.”</p><p class="p1">At that, Javier started <em>laughing</em>. It threw Joaquin completely off track.</p><p class="p1">„They’re not going to learn. It’s the way the system works. Agents are just cannon fodder that can be used however they please. They’re <em>not</em> going to admit any failures on their side.”</p><p class="p1">„You’re saying that killing them one by one is a better option?”</p><p class="p1">„Definitely a more effective one.”</p><p class="p1">„But does it make any <em>real </em>change other than wiping a few assholes off the planet?”</p><p class="p1">Kajika’s gaze suddenly turned into a frown, meaning that Joaquin probably went too far. There was no space to back off now though.</p><p class="p1">„I don’t really care, stranger. I just want them to suffer <em>exactly</em> like the people under their command did.”</p><p class="p1">„I understand that. But I do think that destroying an entire system would be a much heavier blow to the JTF and SHD than losing a few commanders. But it’s just my opinion.”</p><p class="p1">„Then shove it up your ass and get out of here. I’m not going to be a pawn in somebody else’s game anymore.”</p><p class="p1">„I would never suggest that. I just need to know. Was it true? How they left you there? And the torture?”</p><p class="p1">Javier looked up then, staring straight into Joaquin’s eyes. The man shivered uncontrollably at the look on his face. He was <em>furious</em>.</p><p class="p1">„Yes. It was.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin suspected as much, but actually hearing the words made his chest physically hurt with disappointment. Protectors of humanity <em>my ass</em>. Somebody had to put a stop to this bullshit.</p><p class="p1">„Thank you. You may not realize it, but it actually makes all the difference in the world. I’m going to go now, okay? I do have some stuff to take care of.”</p><p class="p1">With that and his hands still up in the air, Joaquin started walking backwards to reach the exit. Kajika didn’t move a muscle, didn’t even flinch. But suddenly, when Joaquin was just a few meters away from the street, he moved so fast that Joaquin’s eyes barely registered any movement at all. Suddenly he was by the agent's side, hand grabbing his forearm.</p><p class="p1">„Wait,” Javier said then. „Do you have any other intel? Similar to what happened to me?”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin was surprised, but he still managed to act like a professional.</p><p class="p1">„I don’t, but there’s one of our own working with Parnell now. Probably. I plan to find her and get as much information as I can. She’s obviously onto something <em>big, </em>much bigger than just a few people in the JTF. I want to know more. So I’m going to look for her. And Parnell.”</p><p class="p1">Javier nodded and bit his lower lip. There was obviously something going on in his head. Something complicated and not entirely pleasant if the look on his face was anything to go by.</p><p class="p1">„I can help you get in touch with Parnell and the person you were talking about,” he said suddenly, completely startling Joaquin. „If you and them help me get the JTF.”</p><p class="p1">„Just the officials?”</p><p class="p1">„No. The organization as a whole.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin smiled at that.</p><p class="p1">„We have a deal then. By the way, my name is Joaquin Serrano. Nice to meet…”</p><p class="p1">Kajika wasn’t listening though. He was already making his way back into Pathway Park and gesturing at Joaquin to follow him.</p><p class="p1">The man didn’t need to be asked twice.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Hurricane</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's not always easy to determine who would be your most and least reliable ally.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">VIDEO EVIDENCE NO 246/1345/229C</p><p class="p1">LOCATION: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK</p><p class="p1">VIDEO TAG: UNKNOWN</p><p class="p1">SUBJECT: THEO PARNELL, STATUS: ROGUE</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Theo Parnell was sitting in an empty classroom, university hours already over for quite a while. Golden light was seeping in through the windows, painting everything inside with a soft glow, making the camera image appear a little too bright. It was still possible to see the important details though. Theo was obviously nervous, tapping his left foot rhythmically against the floor, going through his phone at the same time. Suddenly, the door to the classroom opened and two figures came inside. ISAC databases confirmed them to be Theo’s father, Henry Parnell, and Daniel Hathaway, a computer engineering professor. They were obviously shaken up about something and Theo flinched upon seeing them approach.</p><p class="p1">„How many times do I have to tell you,” Henry Parnell spoke loudly, not even trying to hide his anger, „To quit your stupid antics <em>at least until my campaign is over</em>?”</p><p class="p1">Theo flinched again, immediately hiding his phone and turning the chair around to look at his father.</p><p class="p1">„It’s not my fault, dad,” he was speaking fast, obviously very stressed. „I told you that they’re just waiting for a single misstep on my side to…”</p><p class="p1">„Stop talking, Parnell,” this time it was the professor who spoke. „You can’t hack the inboxes of your classmates to check if they’re sending out emails about you. We talked about this.”</p><p class="p1">„But <em>somebody </em>must have gone to the press! Only a few people apart from me knew what kind of research I was doing and…”</p><p class="p1">„… <em>and </em>you could have picked a different subject,” Theo’s father was still angry, moving closer and closer to Theo’s desk. „Because you <em>know </em>how hard it already is for me to explain your shit to the press. Now <em>this</em>? <em>This </em>is unacceptable. Why are you doing this, Theo? Why can’t you lay low for <em>a single semester</em>? What the hell is wrong with you?!”</p><p class="p1">Henry threw a newspaper on Theo’s desk then, making sure that his son got a good look at the cover. The camera image was coded with a comment citing the title. <em>Henry Parnell’s son tracking government conspiracies, hacking his classmates’ inboxes in the process.</em></p><p class="p1">The room was silent for a while, almost making the recording appear frozen. A few seconds passed before Theo spoke again.</p><p class="p1">„It’s not like that, dad.”</p><p class="p1">„Then <em>what is it like</em>, Theo? It’s all I want to know. <em>What is it like</em>?!”</p><p class="p1">Theo opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He bit his lower lip and didn’t say anything else.</p><p class="p1">„If I may,” the professor spoke again. „Senator, I’m afraid I can’t tolerate any more… <em>events</em> like this. I have been <em>very </em>understanding, but this has gone too far. I’m going to have to remove your son from my class, effective immediately.”</p><p class="p1">„Daniel,” Henry’s tone suddenly turned to a softer, almost <em>pleading</em> one. „Please give him another chance. I promise it’s never going to happen again.”</p><p class="p1">„You said the same thing last month, Senator. I have a reputation to uphold.”</p><p class="p1">„One last time. <em>Please</em>. If he screws up again, I’ll let you do whatever you please. Just let him try and make this right <em>one last time</em>.”</p><p class="p1">Silence fell between the men again, interrupted only by a barely audible whirring of air conditioning.</p><p class="p1">„Alright,” professor Hathaway finally spoke. „One last time. But I promise you, if <em>anything </em>like this happens again, I’m throwing your ass out of the program, Theo.”</p><p class="p1">Theo nodded, still silent. His father exhaled loudly, crossing his arms against his chest.</p><p class="p1">„Thank you. I would like to talk to my son <em>alone </em>now, if you please.”</p><p class="p1">Professor Hathaway nodded and left the room, quietly locking the door behind himself.</p><p class="p1">„Dad…” Theo tried to say something as soon as the door closed, but his father interrupted him immediately.</p><p class="p1">„No, Theo,” he was obviously still angry. „You don’t get to say <em>sorry </em>anymore. I’ve had enough of this bullshit. Are you taking your meds?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes.”</p><p class="p1">„Every day?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes, dad.”</p><p class="p1">„Good. I’ll set you up with your psychiatrist tomorrow. You’re probably going to need a dose adjustment.”</p><p class="p1">„But dad…”</p><p class="p1">„There’s no <em>but </em>here, Theo. This is your last chance. I’m <em>not</em> going to clean up your mess anymore. If you can’t act like an adult, I’m going to have to treat you like a child. Now get your stuff. We’re going home.”</p><p class="p1">Theo stood up then, slowly, picked up his backpack and followed his father out of the classroom.</p><p class="p1">No other words were spoken.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Anna was in the kitchen, sitting at a huge square table with a laptop and one of her tablets. It was raining outside and the raindrops could be heard beating against the makeshift metal roof connecting one hideout segment with the other. The Rikers were no specialists when it came to construction, but their ideas worked and were mostly solid enough not to collapse under their own weight, so she actually felt safe. Besides, the sound of raindrops was soothing in a way and it was actually helping her focus.</p><p class="p1">She and Theo decided to fish out all agents that could possibly be assets to their cause. They set up an algorithm that would notify them about any agent digging around in databases that were not part of their standard access protocol. Of course they had to review each case individually afterwards and make sure what the agents were <em>actually </em>looking for, but they already managed to find a couple that could possibly be of interest. They even already reached out to three of them, providing them with sufficient data and encouraging them to see the details for themselves to see what they would do.</p><p class="p1">It was just one thing though. Working on Tribeca and trying to pinpoint possible points of contact was a tedious job and Anna wasn’t sleeping well recently. It took her a long time to create an overlay for the Tribeca map and unfortunately most of Dragov’s contacts turned out to be dead ends. There was one important bit of information they managed to find though - a note mentioning some very suspicious ties with the JTF. Trying to look into the details and decrypt some messages exchanged between the JTF and SHD, she could already feel a migraine approaching. Hence the kitchen and some hot tea. <em>And </em>taking some time off to dig out more information about Theo.</p><p class="p1">She was just about to lift the mug to her lips when she saw Dragov approach from within the building. Her eyes were almost as tired as her body, but being able to fixate them on an approaching figure actually helped a bit. Dragov came into the kitchen soon after and shot her a glance accompanied by a grin.</p><p class="p1">„Stop staring at me,” He said pretending to be angry, but there was definitely a mocking undertone to his voice. „You’re not my type anyway.”</p><p class="p1">Anna blinked then and frowned, unable to process what Dragov just said.</p><p class="p1">„I’m not <em>what</em>?”</p><p class="p1">Dragov laughed at that, taking a beer out of the fridge and sitting down in a chair on the opposite side of the table.</p><p class="p1">„Want one?” He gestured at her with the bottle, smiling.</p><p class="p1">„No, thanks. I have a lot of work to do today.”</p><p class="p1">„Speaking of work, where’s Theo?”</p><p class="p1">„Sleeping. I told him to take some time off. But I need to get this done ASAP.”</p><p class="p1">„You should take a break sometimes too, you know. You work too hard. I mean, I get the <em>fuck SHD</em> stuff and all, but the work you did on our security systems was basically like your second job.”</p><p class="p1">„I wanted to keep you safe. It’s important. You saved my life. It's the least I could have done.”</p><p class="p1">Dragov placed the beer bottle on the table with a lout thud then, looking Anna straight in the eyes.</p><p class="p1">„About that. You didn’t have to do that. And yet you did. So I have a gift for you. It’s not much, but I hope you’ll appreciate it.”</p><p class="p1">He reached into the front pocket of his hoodie and took out a small box, roughly the size of a few DVD boxes stacked on top of each other, and slid it across the table in Anna’s direction. She lifted the box up and eyed it suspiciously.</p><p class="p1">„What is this?”</p><p class="p1">„Take a look. Don’t worry, it’s not a bomb.”</p><p class="p1">Anna rolled her eyes then and turned the package around to get rid of the duct tape holding the box together. She removed it quickly and when she peeked inside, she immediately gasped.</p><p class="p1">„Is this…”</p><p class="p1">„Yes,” Dragov said, flashing her a toothy grin. „It’s chocolate. And not just <em>any </em>chocolate. It’s Teuscher pralines, straight from Zurich. Untouched. Perfectly packaged. Enjoy.”</p><p class="p1">Anna opened the box a little further and noticed a few stacks of <em>perfectly preserved </em>pralines in various shapes and sizes. She took one out and looked at it with awe. She hasn’t seen <em>good </em>chocolate in more than two years.</p><p class="p1">„How did you get this?”</p><p class="p1">„I have my ways. Now dig in. It’s all for you.”</p><p class="p1">She didn’t have to be told twice. Biting into the praline she immediately felt the champagne truffle filling basically melting in her mouth. It was so good she felt her eyes water.</p><p class="p1">„<em>Oh fuck,</em>” she said after a while, still not believing the deliciousness she just tasted. „Thank you. I needed that more than I realized. Want one?”</p><p class="p1">Dragov smiled again, this time much more relaxed.</p><p class="p1">„Sure. Thank you.”</p><p class="p1">She slid the box his way then and Dragov picked one of the champagne truffles too. Anna couldn’t help a smile when she saw his expression turn from smug to pleased as soon as he ate it.</p><p class="p1">„Wow, these <em>are </em>good,” he said, visibly surprised. „Much better than I imagined.”</p><p class="p1">„Want another one?”</p><p class="p1">„No, thank you. I brought those here for you.”</p><p class="p1">He slid the box back towards Anna and she put it away right next to her laptop. Seeing Dragov’s puzzled expression she smiled a little too.</p><p class="p1">„I’m not going to eat them all now. And I want to save some for Theo.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh yeah. About Theo. Is he alright?”</p><p class="p1">This question surprised Anna a little.</p><p class="p1">„What do you mean?”</p><p class="p1">Dragov sighed deeply then and reached for the beer again, taking a few sips before continuing.</p><p class="p1">„He’s a little… I don’t know how to put it. Strange? Paranoid? I mean, he’s a little reckless sometimes. And he gets really invested in things. He forgets that life happens no matter what role he takes upon himself. So I’m a little worried. He’s too smart for his own good and sometimes he gets burned by flying too close to the sun. If you know what I mean.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded. She did. She may not have known Theo for a long time, but <em>damn </em>if he wasn’t similar to her in <em>so many ways</em>.</p><p class="p1">„I think I do. And I think that it’s… <em>nice</em> that you’re worried about him.”</p><p class="p1">Dragov shrugged and took a few more sips of beer.</p><p class="p1">„How could I not be? He’s not cut out for this. And by <em>this </em>I mean this entire operation for Keener. You know, I’ll never forgive this bastard for bringing Theo on board. This kid is so <em>naive </em>he would follow anyone who tells him what he wants to hear.”</p><p class="p1">Anna felt an unpleasant shiver at that. She did do some digging around Theo’s past, possibly more than she should have. She found some encrypted video files, teacher notes, medical prescriptions. It all painted an image of a very smart, very righteous and very lost individual. An individual she felt very conflicted about.</p><p class="p1">„Do you know what he’s working on for Keener?” Anna asked then, taking a sip of tea.</p><p class="p1">„I do.”</p><p class="p1">„Can you tell me?”</p><p class="p1">„Didn’t <em>he </em>tell you?”</p><p class="p1">„No. He says it’s for my own protection and well, it probably is, but I want to know.”</p><p class="p1">„Why?”</p><p class="p1">„I want to keep him safe. Or at least try to.”</p><p class="p1">Dragov sighed again then, placing an empty beer bottle on the table. He took another one out of the fridge and came back to his chair, using the table to unscrew the cap.</p><p class="p1">„He’s putting together a rogue network,” he said after a while. „An alternative to ISAC for those outside of SHD. And a remote control system for a missile. As much as I’m all for the first one, the second one is what I’m actually worried about.”</p><p class="p1">„What do you mean?”</p><p class="p1">„Keener wants to use a ground-to-air missile to spread a more deadly version of the virus.”</p><p class="p1">„He wants to do WHAT?!”</p><p class="p1">„Exactly what I said.”</p><p class="p1">„<em>Why </em>would he want that? And why would you guys be helping him? No offense, but it’s hard for me to believe that you have a similar objective.”</p><p class="p1">„We don’t. But we also don’t have a choice. Keener has made some very powerful friends in the meantime and honestly, you’re either <em>with </em>him or <em>against</em> him. There’s no in-between. So we have to do whatever he wants and hope that he won’t turn against us. If you want my opinion, the man went full blown crazy. His hunger for power turned him into a madman. And to think I used to look up to him sometimes.”</p><p class="p1">Anna shrugged again, suddenly feeling dread slip into her stomach. She was always afraid of individuals with too much power. Keener seemed to be the worst possible version of that.</p><p class="p1">„Theo told me the same thing. That he doesn’t really want to work for Keener, but he doesn’t have a choice anymore.”</p><p class="p1">„That’s true. That’s why I want to ask you to keep him safe. He went after Keener because the guy knew exactly how to play him, but he might be able to get out of it with your help.”</p><p class="p1">„You really think so?”</p><p class="p1">„I do. I do believe that you two might have a chance to outsmart Keener. With the help of the right people, of course.”</p><p class="p1">Anna turned silent for a while. She hasn’t considered it before, making the corruption in SHD ranks her top priority. But this, this was far more pressing, this had to be done <em>now. </em>Maybe they really <em>could</em> outsmart Keener. Maybe they needed a change of plans.</p><p class="p1">„You might be right,” she said after a while, scratching her cheek with her forefinger. „But I’m afraid we don’t have much time. Theo mentioned something about having to move to the Civic Center to finish his work. I’m assuming it concerns the work he’s doing for Keener.”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. I got orders regarding that too. I’ll have to provide protection for Theo. I’ll give him some of my best men, but I would feel much better if you went with him too.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded. Dragov was right. She wasn’t initially planning on leaving together with Theo, especially since he would only be set up there for two weeks or so and she planned to continue the work on her intel here, in the Financial District. However, considering the nature of Theo’s work she figured it might be best to actually move there too. Strangely enough, this thought did make her feel more <em>at peace</em>. She did like working with him. She did get used to having him nearby. It would feel <em>weird</em> to be separated from him now, she suddenly realized.</p><p class="p1">„Alright,” she said after a while, closing her laptop and putting the tablet on top of it. „I’ll go with him. And I’ll try to get into it. But I need to know one thing. When pull comes to shove, can I count on your help?”</p><p class="p1">Dragov smiled again, using his right hand to show her a thumbs up.</p><p class="p1">„Of course you can. For all the things you did for us here, it’s the least I can do. And if we manage to fuck Keener over, hell, that’s even better.”</p><p class="p1">Anna smiled at that and after a quick goodbye she left to talk to Theo, still a little puzzled about this most unlikely alliance she suddenly found herself in.</p><p class="p1">Who would have guessed that the most <em>reliable </em>ally she would have found would be the leader of the Rikers himself.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">When Anna entered the room, Theo was asleep on the couch, hands under his cheek and a blanket covering his side. She sat down next to him gently, making sure not to make any sudden movements. His break was nearly over anyway and they <em>really</em> needed to talk.</p><p class="p1">„Hey, Theo,” she whispered, preferring to wake him up as gently as possible; he was usually a very light sleeper, jumping up at any sound louder than a whisper and she didn’t want to see the frightened look in his eyes ever again. The first time was enough. „Wake up. We gotta talk.” Nothing except soft snores and a slight change of position. „Theo.” Nothing. „Oh for fuck’s sake.”</p><p class="p1">She placed her stuff on the ground and reached out to place a hand on his arm, trying to wake him up. The touch did make him move a little and when she said his name again, he finally opened his eyes and tried to focus his gaze on her, blinking in the process. She tried a reassuring smile and received a similar one from Theo in return.</p><p class="p1">„Hey there,” he said, covering his mouth with his hand and yawning deeply, „I’m sorry, is my break over?”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. And I have to tell you something.”</p><p class="p1">Theo’s expression immediately turned serious, somehow also… <em>scared</em>?</p><p class="p1">„Yeah?”</p><p class="p1">„I decided to go with you. To The Tombs in the Civic Center. I talked to Dragov and we might actually have a chance to undermine Keener’s operation. And also…”</p><p class="p1">„Wait,” Theo suddenly seemed fully awake. „Undermine <em>what</em>? Do you know how dangerous that is? I’m not letting you go with me. There’s no way. You’re not getting mixed up in all this.”</p><p class="p1">„Too late. And I’m not asking.”</p><p class="p1">They looked at each other then, engaging in a staring contest of sorts. Theo’s gaze was unwavering, but Anna was always good with persuasion. If he stares her down, fine. She was going to have it her way anyway.</p><p class="p1">But he didn’t. He turned his gaze down and sighed.</p><p class="p1">„I don’t want anything bad to happen to you,” he said after a while, not looking at her. „I… it’s dangerous, okay? And it would put you too close to Keener. I don’t want that.”</p><p class="p1">„Theo,” she placed her hand on his arm again, trying to make him look at her. „I understand. And I know what it means. But if we don’t take risks, we’re not going to get anything done. I need to do this. <em>We </em>need to do this. We may not have another chance. Besides… you know well enough that Keener needs to be stopped.”</p><p class="p1">He finally looked at her then, but turned his face away soon after with a blush.</p><p class="p1">„I assume Dragov told you what I’m doing for Keener?”</p><p class="p1">„He did. Because you wouldn’t.”</p><p class="p1">„Damn that idiot. Just… promise me that you’ll be careful, okay? It won’t be easy to go against Keener. He’s far more powerful than anyone can imagine.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded then, massaging Theo’s arm with her thumb.</p><p class="p1">„I know. That’s why I want to go with you. I want to try. And I want to keep you safe.”</p><p class="p1">Theo moved away from her then and sat upright, putting his glasses back on his face and <em>finally </em>looking back at her.</p><p class="p1">„You think I can’t fend for myself, huh?”</p><p class="p1">„No. I know you can. I just…” She wanted to say something, but suddenly forgot what. „I don’t know.”</p><p class="p1">Theo moved closer to her then, smiling. He obviously found the entire situation really funny.</p><p class="p1">„<em>I</em> know. You find me irresistible and you have fallen for my charm.”</p><p class="p1">„Your <em>what</em>?”</p><p class="p1">„Hey! You can’t deny that I <em>am </em>charming!”</p><p class="p1">Anna laughed then, the strain of her talk with Dragov and the decision she had to make suddenly giving way to a relaxed feeling of something familiar but weirdly elusive.</p><p class="p1">And then she remembered the gift she got a while earlier.</p><p class="p1">„Okay, smartass,” she said after a while, pushing Theo a little to make his back hit the armrest. „I have something for you. Close your eyes and open your mouth.”</p><p class="p1">Theo blinked a few times, obviously surprised with what he just heard.</p><p class="p1">„You want me to do <em>what</em>?”</p><p class="p1">„What I just said. And be fast about it or I’m going to change my mind. And believe me when I say that you’ll regret it if I do.”</p><p class="p1">„But you’re not going to poison me? I didn’t mean to upset you <em>that </em>much.”</p><p class="p1">„Not now, but if you keep this shit up I actually <em>might</em> at some point in the future.”</p><p class="p1">„Now I’m not sure I want you to come with me anymore.”</p><p class="p1">„Too bad. Now close your eyes and open your mouth.”</p><p class="p1">Theo laughed quietly and did as he was told as Anna reached down to gather the box of pralines. She picked one from the very top and popped it into Theo’s mouth. He seemed surprised at first, but as soon as he realized what was going on and started biting into the chocolate, his facial expression changed immediately.</p><p class="p1">„<em>Oh. My. God,</em>” he whispered, opening his eyes to look at Anna. „<em>Where</em> did you find this? It’s… I don’t even know how to describe how fucking <em>delicious </em>this is.”</p><p class="p1">„Dragov gave me an entire box as a thank you gift for my help. And being the generous lady that I am, I decided to share it with you. Here, take another one.”</p><p class="p1">Anna held the box up then, unable to stop grinning at how Theo’s eyes lit up just by looking at the pralines inside. They ate a few more and it was finally Anna’s turn to rest, Theo standing up to continue his research on SHD. He was supposed to go through encrypted messages they managed to extract from a few electronic devices Dragov managed to get out of Tribeca. They had no idea if it was going to be worth it at all, but they had to check. Too much depended on this. But now that Anna has talked to Dragov, she knew she would probably have to alter her plan a little. SHD will pay for what they’ve done, that was certain. But Keener needed to be stopped first. Who knows, maybe by getting to Keener they will also be able to get to someone even more powerful than him. Someone who could be the key to solving all this.</p><p class="p1">As soon as Theo sat down by one of their worktables Anna laid down, turning around to face away from the screens. Before she did that however, she shot one last glance towards the man. He was humming an unknown tune under his breath, a small smile visible on his lips. It was nice to see him in good spirits, but she couldn’t stop thinking about what Dragov said. <em>He’s not cut out for this</em>. <em>This kid is so naive he would follow anyone who tells him what he wants to hear. </em>It somehow made her stomach hurt with worry. He was fucking <em>brilliant</em>, but so eager to please the people around him. And it wasn’t surprising considering his childhood, his university years, his relationship with his father. She suddenly felt bad about digging that deep into his past, but one thing was certain. Remembering the video she watched of him, his father and his university professor, she <em>never </em>wanted to see that defeated look on his face again.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">„Haven’t seen you in a while. Good to see that you’re safe.”</p><p class="p1">„Likewise. I’m glad I managed to convince Dragov that I was the right man for this job.”</p><p class="p1">„He didn’t need that much convincing. You <em>are </em>the right man for this job.”</p><p class="p1">Anna and Paul Bosevi were standing in front of the entrance to The Tombs, a makeshift hideout Keener secured for Theo to complete his work on the ground-to-air missile and the rogue network. Anna had no idea how Keener and Dragov managed to secure so many supplies in such a short time, but knowing that Paul was also behind it actually explained a lot. She knew that he had access to contacts no other people had. And he was very resourceful, which made her even more glad to see him in The Tombs. Considering that they already established the fact that they shared a common goal, it was a perfect opportunity to finally start working together.</p><p class="p1">Some of the Rikers that Dragov sent to protect and help Theo were busy carrying crates and packages inside, Theo giving them directions and making sure they don’t break anything in the process. Anna and Paul used this opportunity to wait outside and discuss a few things.</p><p class="p1">„How is your leg?” Paul asked suddenly, taking Anna’s attention away from the steady flow of supplies entering the building.</p><p class="p1">„Much better, thank you,” she answered, looking at Paul. „It’s still a little sore but nothing to worry about. The shoulder is also mostly fine, although my range of movement it not perfect yet.”</p><p class="p1">„I’m glad to hear that. Hopefully it will get better with time.”</p><p class="p1">„I hope so too. Sometimes I forget that there was a <em>bullet </em>wedged between my muscles, but I’m painfully reminded about that fact whenever I try to reach for something higher than me.”</p><p class="p1">Paul chuckled, adjusting the hat he had on to protect his eyes from sunlight.</p><p class="p1">„I get that, believe me. I was shot more than once and shoulders are <em>always </em>the worst.”</p><p class="p1">„Thanks. That actually makes me feel better.”</p><p class="p1">They stood in silence for a while, following the Rikers’ movements with their eyes.</p><p class="p1">„So what’s the plan now?” Paul asked after a while, his voice a little quieter than before.</p><p class="p1">„The plan is,” Anna sighed. „To go for Keener first. We have a lot of intel to suggest that SHD is corrupt to its core and that there’s actually a shadowy group pulling the strings there. But Keener is planning to launch a missile containing a more lethal version of the virus. He wants Theo to build him a system that would allow for precise targeting. We have to sabotage that first.”</p><p class="p1">„How do you plan to do that? Can’t Theo just <em>not </em>do his job?”</p><p class="p1">„He could, but it would be nice if he <em>lived</em>, don’t you think? And we can’t allow Keener to escape and try it again with someone else. We have to be smart about this. I have been thinking about it a lot and I think I have a good idea on how to start.”</p><p class="p1">„Great. I’m assuming I could help you with that?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. It won’t be an easy task, but I already have an idea on how to use our most unreliable asset.”</p><p class="p1">„Unreliable?” Paul sounded surprised, but curious at the same time. „And that would be?”</p><p class="p1">Anna smiled at that, took a tablet out of her backpack and handed it to Paul. He noticed a few names on the screen, a few marked green and a few marked red. Suddenly it clicked and he smiled as well.</p><p class="p1">„As you can see,” Anna said, pointing to the green names visible on top of the list. „I’m talking about the Division.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. We're All Just On Our Way Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When pull comes to shove, it's never easy to decide which side one should be on.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>VIDEO EVIDENCE NO 22/9786/4A</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>LOCATION: BASE OF OPERATIONS, NEW YORK</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>VIDEO TAG: UNKNOWN</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>SUBJECT: ANNA CLARKE, STATUS: UNKNOWN</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">„So you’re saying that ISAC’s computing power is based on the amount of functional nodes?”</p><p class="p1">Anna Clarke and Paul Rhodes were standing in front of a huge screen, both using their watches to synchronize the most recent ISAC updates for testing. Paul was visibly uneasy to be holding the watch though; he always worried that even though he had one just for the sake of testing, it could still somehow fall into the wrong hands. So he only took it out of his safe when it was absolutely necessary.</p><p class="p1">„Yes and no,” Paul answered, using his watch to change the screen. „It can be amplified by portable access points. Unfortunately the node coverage is the base, so it can be limited.”</p><p class="p1">„I understand. How does manipulating the nodes influence the system itself?”</p><p class="p1">„Depends on the node. There’s just one functionality I’m worried about. You see, if you know what to do it’s easy to mark anyone as rogue. People you don’t like, people you don’t agree with. Of course ISAC has a built-in system based on directives, but considering that <em>I</em> can override it there are definitely others who can do it too.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded and looked at something on the screen, using her watch to switch between different details.</p><p class="p1">„I see,” she said after a while. „So basically ISAC is not just a network. It’s also a system that can determine one’s allegiance based on directives that have an eighty percent success rate. In other words, anything that falls under the other twenty percent can be considered a mistake or deliberate manipulation.”</p><p class="p1">„It can. It’s our job to make sure that it doesn’t. That’s why we review those cases individually.”</p><p class="p1">„Who makes the final decision?”</p><p class="p1">„SHD officials. We just make recommendations.”</p><p class="p1">„Is it just me or is it completely unfair?”</p><p class="p1">„It’s not just you, kid. I told you multiple times. SHD doesn’t deserve ISAC.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded and proceeded to make some notes on a notepad she was holding.</p><p class="p1">„So basically ISAC can not only be compromised, but also used to shift power in accordance with whatever whim its level 5 user currently has,” she said after a while, biting down on the pen she was holding.</p><p class="p1">„Unlikely, but yes.”</p><p class="p1">„Isn’t it too much power to be entrusted to a single individual?”</p><p class="p1">„ISAC doesn’t have just one level 5 user, you see. There <em>used</em> to be one and it was a government official assigned to SHD, but it’s currently divided into fifteen segments.”</p><p class="p1">„Interesting. I can’t access anything past level 3 so I couldn’t have known.”</p><p class="p1">„Each segment is overseen by a separate level 5 user precisely to avoid this kind of scenario.”</p><p class="p1">„Can we be sure though?”</p><p class="p1">„What do you mean?”</p><p class="p1">„Do we know <em>exactly </em>who those people are? Can we run a check to see if those people even <em>exist</em>? I don’t know, Paul, it all seems very suspicious to me.”</p><p class="p1">„It’s the government we’re talking about,” Paul sighed and turned around to reach for a tablet. „There’s no way we get to know these things, kid.”</p><p class="p1">„But we <em>should</em>,” there was irritation in Anna’s voice now. „Based on what we talked about, level 5 users can easily mark <em>anyone </em>as rogue. If access falls into the hands of the wrong people, the consequences could be dire. Are we even <em>sure </em>that all of them are government officials?”</p><p class="p1">„There’s nothing we can do here. I’m telling you. The information we have says that anything higher than level 4 is strictly under government jurisdiction.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh for <em>fuck’s sake</em>. That’s <em>irrational</em>!”</p><p class="p1">„You think I like it? I tried to get in there multiple times. The encryption level is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”</p><p class="p1">Anna was now pacing back and forth around the room, scribbling in the notepad furiously.</p><p class="p1">„We could try to identify <em>one </em>of those fifteen users,” she said after a while. „I’m pretty sure president Ellis has all necessary access privileges. We could try to work around it and…”</p><p class="p1">„Let me stop you right here,” Rhodes <em>literally</em> stopped her by standing in front of her. „If you go after the fucking <em>president</em>, it’s treason.”</p><p class="p1">„It’s not treason, it’s our agents’ <em>safety</em>!”</p><p class="p1">Paul sighed and adjusted the cap he was wearing. It was easy to see that he was agitated and conflicted.</p><p class="p1">„Listen. I know how you feel about this. I feel the same. But we work for the <em>government</em>. There’s no space to question the leadership here. We have to do our jobs and keep our people <em>safe</em>.”</p><p class="p1">„But that’s exactly the point! We <em>can’t </em>keep them safe!”</p><p class="p1">„We have to do our best with what we have, kid.”</p><p class="p1">It was clearly visible that Anna was <em>furious</em>. She tried to calm herself down however, inhaling and exhaling through her nose. She closed her eyes for a moment and hid her face in her hands.</p><p class="p1">„Hey,” Rhodes spoke after a while, his voice surprisingly soft. „I <em>know </em>that you want to keep everyone safe. But sometimes the only thing you can do is watch them closely and make sure they don’t get into trouble. I know it’s hard; trust me, I’ve been there. But you can do much more for them by watching their backs than by fighting a war you have no chance of winning.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded, face still hidden in her hands.</p><p class="p1">„I know,” she sighed after a while. „I know you’re right. But it’s so unfair, Rhodes.”</p><p class="p1">„The world is unfair, kid,” Paul reached out and patted her on the back. „All we can do is learn to live with it.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Joaquin was leaning against a wall, a small disposable phone in his hand. The device was delivered by a Riker that morning and Joaquin was told to expect a call around seven PM. It was two minutes past that time and he was already getting anxious. He may have made his decision, but there was still worry clinging to his resolve, clouding his judgement from time to time. Javier didn’t seem to have that problem. He set up the meeting, organized the phone delivery, found a safe spot with no ISAC coverage. Now he was standing right next to Joaquin, completely unfazed.</p><p class="p1">„She’s going to call,” Javier said suddenly, startling Joaquin a little in the surrounding silence. „Give her a few more minutes. Calm down.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin nodded and sighed. He was a professional, God damn it. Still, never before in his career has he been that close to betraying everything he once believed in.</p><p class="p1">After what seemed like eternity, the phone suddenly rang. Joaquin picked up immediately.</p><p class="p1">„Hello, Joaquin,” he heard a woman’s voice. „Nice to talk to you in person.”</p><p class="p1">„Nice to talk to you too,” he said after a moment, noticing a slight tremor in his own voice. „You must be Anna Clarke.”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. For the record, this conversation is completely secure. Nobody’s going to be able to trace that call or the location of this cell phone. Now tell me why you wanted to talk to me.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin swallowed hard and shot a glance towards Javier. He was smoking a cigarette and Joaquin thought that maybe he should light one too. Maybe it would help with the stress.</p><p class="p1">„I received a message from Theo Parnell,” luckily, as soon as he started talking he felt much better; maybe it was the inevitability of what he was about to say that made the difference. „And I did some fact checking myself. I want to know more.”</p><p class="p1">There was a short pause on the other side, but somehow he knew that Anna was still there.</p><p class="p1">„We still have a lot of stuff to uncover,” she said finally, an undertone of confidence in her voice that immediately made Joaquin like her. „And we’re very determined to see this through until the very end. Now, however, we have a more pressing threat to take care of. Namely Aaron Keener.”</p><p class="p1">He was going to need that cigarette after all. Reaching into his pocket, he tried to hold the phone with his shoulder. Javier noticed that and offered to share a cigarette of his. Joaquin thanked him with a smile and lit one up.</p><p class="p1">„Seems like you <em>do</em> share a goal with the Division after all,” he finally spoke, feeling much better with a cigarette in his hand. „Considering that they’re after Keener as well. And those who work with him. Yet somehow I’m not surprised to hear that you’re not really on his side.”</p><p class="p1">„Keener is a madman who needs to be stopped. He’s dragging others down with him as well. And we’re actually glad that the Division is after him. We plan to use it to our advantage.”</p><p class="p1">„<em>You </em>plan to use it? Can I at least know who <em>you </em>are?”</p><p class="p1">There was a pause.</p><p class="p1">„We don’t have a name or anything. We’re just a few people who want to know the truth. And those who plan to stop Keener before it’s too late.”</p><p class="p1">„So you’re not rogue agents?”</p><p class="p1">„Some of us are.”</p><p class="p1">„And the rest?”</p><p class="p1">„Just people who want to make a difference.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin nodded at that, realizing that Anna would not be able to see it, so he decided on an appreciative hum instead. He understood the sentiment very well. He shared it as well.</p><p class="p1">„How can I help?” He asked suddenly, inhaling the smoke with a deep intake of breath.</p><p class="p1">„First of all, are you <em>sure</em> that you want to? Helping us might make the Division go after you at some point.”</p><p class="p1">„I don’t really care. Not anymore.” It was surprising to Joaquin how <em>confident </em>he was while speaking these words.</p><p class="p1">„Alright then. I want you to make sure that the Division has no idea about the source of the intel we are going to feed them. I want to make sure that they go after Keener thinking that it’s their own doing and their own discovery.”</p><p class="p1">„Do you really need to go that far?”</p><p class="p1">„I do. I can’t have Keener realize that his operation is being undermined by some of his former companions. I need him to think that it’s all the Division’s doing. He might escape otherwise and I’m not sure we’ll have such an opportunity again.”</p><p class="p1">„Understood. So you plan to feed them intel bit by bit until they corner Keener and get rid of him?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. That’s precisely my plan. But it’s not going to be easy; he has eyes and ears everywhere. I know you’re with Kajika right now. Better make sure he’s not one of them.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin nodded. It was a fair point.</p><p class="p1">„And then what?”</p><p class="p1">„We’ll make them face the Rikers as soon as they come here.”</p><p class="p1">„You do realize that they already know where their main base is? If my opinion is anything to go by, they’re probably going to go for the Financial District next.”</p><p class="p1">„I want to see them try,” did he imagine it or did he hear <em>amusement </em>in Anna’s voice? „There’s going to be quite a lot of surprises waiting for them.”</p><p class="p1">„I’ll probably be sent there as well.”</p><p class="p1">„That’s what I’m hoping for. You’ll be the one to <em>recover </em>the intel. And you’ll be the only one to escape my targeting system.”</p><p class="p1">„You built a targeting system for the Rikers?”</p><p class="p1">„They saved my life. Took good care of me. It was the least I could do. Besides… they’re not that bad.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin snorted at that. It was definitely not what he was expecting to hear.</p><p class="p1">„Alright then. Just tell me what you need me to do.”</p><p class="p1">„I’ll send the instructions through ISAC. But first of all, I will send you a program you have to install on top of your current software. Just to make sure that whatever we send back and forth is untraceable.”</p><p class="p1">„Understood.”</p><p class="p1">„Thank you, Joaquin. Your help really means a lot. I really hope we manage to find more people like you.”</p><p class="p1">„I’m pretty sure you will. There’s quite a lot of us fed up with the way things are being handled.”</p><p class="p1">„I hope so. Thanks again. I’ll send the files over in a second.”</p><p class="p1">„Sure. Bye.”</p><p class="p1">Ending the phone call and destroying the phone as instructed earlier, Joaquin actually felt better.<em> Confident.</em> Anna seemed to have an actual plan, one that made a lot of <em>sense</em>. Hearing that they - whoever <em>they </em>were - were also going after Keener made him lose some of his reservations. Before today he was sure that whoever was marked rogue was automatically a follower of Keener; some were saying that his rogue network consisted of hundreds of rogue agents and criminals. Apparently the man was crazy enough that even other rogue agents had reservations when it came to working with him.</p><p class="p1">„Done with your business?” Kajika spoke suddenly, another cigarette in his mouth.</p><p class="p1">„Pretty much,” Javier answered and finally fished his own pack out of his pocket. „Thanks for your help. I know what I needed to know. But there’s something I want to ask you.”</p><p class="p1">„And that would be?”</p><p class="p1">„Why are you working with Keener?”</p><p class="p1">Kajika inhaled the smoke slowly and finally turned his head a little to look at Joaquin.</p><p class="p1">„He promised to get me names. And actual people. You know, the ones I was looking for.”</p><p class="p1">„And what exactly are you doing for him?”</p><p class="p1">„That’s none of your business.”</p><p class="p1">„Fair enough. I just want to know if I should consider you a threat to the entire operation.”</p><p class="p1">„I don’t care about your operation and I don’t care about Keener. He can go fuck himself for all I care. Your operation too, by the way. What I care about is bringing JTF down.”</p><p class="p1">„Alright. So if I help you with JTF, would you be free to leave Keener to do his own bidding?”</p><p class="p1">„Keener doesn’t own me. Of course I would. I would actually <em>prefer </em>to not have to be involved with Keener. That man is extremely dangerous. One wrong move and you turn into his worst enemy.”</p><p class="p1">„Speaking from experience?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. I’ve seen people exploited by him and then discarded like garbage.”</p><p class="p1">„Why work with him then?”</p><p class="p1">„I want to bring the JTF down and I don’t really have anything left to lose. You could say that I'm already dead, I guess.”</p><p class="p1">That statement actually surprised Joaquin a bit. What was he talking about? Surely there must be a logical explanation to this description. He didn’t have time to ask about any details though - Javier received a phone call and picked up immediately.</p><p class="p1">„Javier here,” he spoke into the microphone, turning away from Joaquin a little. „What’s up?” There was no way for Joaquin to understand what the man was talking about, so he just patiently waited for him to finish. Javier was very scarce with his words. At the end, unfortunately, he said something that made Joaquin feel like there was a huge ball of ice in his stomach. „Those bastards. I’ll be right there.” With that, he put the phone back into his pocket and turned around to look at Joaquin.</p><p class="p1">„Is everything okay?” Joaquin asked when explanation was not provided.</p><p class="p1">„No. I need to go. The Division is in Pathway Park. The Cleaners will hold them off for a while but they need me to help. I have to run.”</p><p class="p1">„Wait,” Joaquin spoke before he actually had time to process what just happened. „Let me go with you. I want to help. Maybe I could distract SHD somehow and make sure that there are no excessive casualties… on <em>both </em>sides.”</p><p class="p1">„That’s stupid. You’re still in SHD databases. You can’t…”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin used his watch to show Kajika that he was wrong.</p><p class="p1">„Parnell wiped everything for me. I’m clean. We can go.”</p><p class="p1">Javier eyed him suspiciously, but then he visibly relaxed.</p><p class="p1">„Alright,” he said. „Come on. But we have to get you some new gear. There’s no way I’m letting you get into Pathway Park dressed like that. You scream <em>SHD </em>from half a mile away.”</p><p class="p1">„Hey!”</p><p class="p1">„It’s true. Now follow me if you really want to help. There’s no time to lose.”</p><p class="p1">Javier was right. There was no time to waste. Joaquin finished his cigarette and threw it away into one of the closest rubbish bins. It was time to get moving.</p><p class="p1">„Alright,” he said after a while, stretching his back a little. „Let’s go.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">Blaze, Marta and two other agents, Gregory and Tom, were slowly making their way through Pathway Park, occasionally having to deal with the Cleaners, but even though there was just four of them they didn’t really feel overwhelmed. Blaze found it suspicious from the very beginning. It was unusual for individuals such as Javier Kajika to have so little protection. He was expecting to encounter many more enemies when they finally descend underground, to a location Kajika was supposedly holding. That’s why they had to be extremely cautious to save both their strength and resources for what may come later.</p><p class="p1">„Make sure we stay together,” he said suddenly, hiding behind a screen to scout the area. „We can’t allow ourselves to lose anyone here. We’re going to need all the manpower we can later.”</p><p class="p1">Marta was on the other side as if on cue, scanning the surroundings for explosives. Apart from a few shock traps there was nothing too serious to worry about. As soon as they went underground however the entire situation changed.</p><p class="p1">They were attacked by a huge group while trying to pass through some abandoned subway trains. There wasn’t much cover that they could hide behind so Marta made sure that they were at least less visible. The push they made through the subway carts was exhausting, but nobody was really surprised that the Cleaners picked this exact location to try and get rid of them. It was narrow, with almost no space to hide. Luckily they were well equipped and ready to take on whatever shit might have gotten thrown their way. The real surprise came when they finally found themselves in the tunnels.</p><p class="p1">Blaze has never seen so many enemies in one place in his entire life. They were lucky to have managed to find a safe hiding spot, being able to see the Cleaners approaching from both sides and protect each other effectively. Unfortunately, every single time they managed to lock onto Kajika he would run away, making sure that more and more Cleaners arrive in his place. Joaquin should have been with them. Blaze couldn’t believe that SHD would assign him a different mission in the middle of a long-time assignment. He would have known how to go about this the smart and least exhausting way.</p><p class="p1">„We have to split up,” Marta was suddenly right next to him, hiding behind the same huge boulder. „Two of us have to follow Kajika. If we stay here, more and more Cleaners will come our way. We have to push through.”</p><p class="p1">„You’re right,” Blaze was quick to contact Tom and Gregory. „Guys, you need to hold them off here. I’m going forward with Marta. We have to get Kajika.”</p><p class="p1">„Sure thing. We’ll make an opening for you in three.”</p><p class="p1">„Great. Thanks.”</p><p class="p1">As soon as they had the chance, Blaze and Marta ran towards the passage, covered by their colleagues staying behind. If they’re smart about it, the guys had more than enough ammo to get them through additional waves of enemies. He and Marta however needed to be fast. There was no way they were letting Kajika escape.</p><p class="p1">„ISAC shows Kajika in a boiler room in the back,” Kelso was suddenly on the line with additional intel. „If you’re fast, you might be able to corner him.”</p><p class="p1">„Got it. On our way.”</p><p class="p1">Said boiler room was located behind a huge metal door and it took them five minutes altogether to set up the explosives, detonate them and fight off the Cleaners that were trying to stop them. Marta felt a bullet graze her knee and even though it wasn’t a direct hit it still hurt as hell. She was determined to see this through to the very end though, so she made sure that her knee pads were secured as tightly as possible. As she and Blaze made their way through the door however it suddenly became very clear that fighting the enemies off was not the worst thing they had to encounter that day. Some sections of the room were cut off because of hot steam coming from the vents. Not only did they have to fight their way through, they also had to make sure that they don’t get burnt.</p><p class="p1">„For fuck’s sake,” Marta could hear Blaze through the intercom. „I really hope that all this is worth it.”</p><p class="p1">„You and me both,” the woman answered, reloading her gun and taking down another Cleaner standing ten feet to the left. „I’m applying for a raise when this is all over.”</p><p class="p1">„Focus, guys,” Kelso’s voice was suddenly in their earpieces again. „We only have one shot at this. Kajika still hasn’t left the room in the back. I believe he might be trying to cover something up or erase whatever he has stored there. Make sure you get his watch.”</p><p class="p1">„Understood.”</p><p class="p1">As soon as Marta moved below and was able to turn off the vents while Blaze was covering her, they both finally arrived at the door leading to the back room. Blaze noticed that Marta’s left hand was pretty badly burnt.</p><p class="p1">„You okay?” He asked while she was trying to crack the code and open the door.</p><p class="p1">„Fine,” she said, gritting her teeth, „But I need to focus.”</p><p class="p1">She finally managed to open the door but as soon as she closed it behind them she realized that they have both been tricked.</p><p class="p1">„Fuck,” Blaze sighed and took his helmet off. „Kelso, do you read?”</p><p class="p1">„Affirmative.”</p><p class="p1">„Kajika is not here. I repeat, we have lost our target.”</p><p class="p1">„What do you mean? ISAC says he’s <em>right there</em>!”</p><p class="p1">„It’s kind of funny, you know, because I’m <em>literally right there </em>and he’s nowhere to be found!”</p><p class="p1">The entire room was empty save for a table and a few pin boards located on the walls. Sadly, there was almost nothing on them and suddenly Blaze realized what it was all about. The only reason Kajika came in here was to make sure they don’t lay their hands on his intel. They have been played.</p><p class="p1">„We’re going to look around,” Marta said more to Kelso than to Blaze. „He didn’t have that much time. He must have left something.”</p><p class="p1">They started looking around the room, rummaging among the papers discarded on top of the table and on the floor. Nothing even remotely referencing Keener. Just as they were about to give up however Blaze noticed that one of the table legs was a little higher than the others, making whatever they put on top of the table slowly slide onto the middle.</p><p class="p1">„Hold on,” he said, kneeling down beside the table and moving the table to the back. „I think we might have something here.”</p><p class="p1">Located under the table was something similar to a folder with more useless papers, but Blaze was fast to realize that it was just a decoy. Removing the folder showed that right underneath was a hidden compartment with a tiny combination lock.</p><p class="p1">„I’m going to try and open this,” Marta was immediately by his side, taking a small container out of her pocket. „My tools should work for this too.”</p><p class="p1">The lock was indeed incredibly tiny, roughly the size of a matchbox, and yet it contained a combination of twelve different digits. Marta opened the container to retrieve something looking like a needle and busied herself with the lock. Meanwhile, Blaze took this opportunity to take another look around.</p><p class="p1">He was angry. No, he was <em>furious</em>. They were so close to capturing Kajika and he managed to basically slip away from them at the last moment. The worst part was that they had no idea whether they would even be able to find him again. He was really hoping that the man didn’t have enough time to sweep the entire room and that they were going to find something useful in that compartment.</p><p class="p1">„Ha!”, Marta’s voice came soon after, making him really start hoping that he was right. „Gotcha!”</p><p class="p1">Using a pair of tweezers she lifted something up and at first Blaze had absolutely no idea what they found, but when he came closer and actually saw what she was holding it made him release a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.</p><p class="p1">It was a watch.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Out Of Range</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What if the truth you were looking for turns out to be too much to handle?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi guys! Sorry for the long wait. I had to move to a new apartment and honestly it took every single ounce of my energy to set up in the new place. I'm dead tired but extremely happy. I'll hopefully be back to regular updates now!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">It was already getting late and Anna was feeling incredibly tired. It didn’t help that she didn’t really enjoy spending time in the Tombs. It was an old prison complex and to say that the surrounding were grim would have been an understatement. It was almost as if some kind of a riot took place in the prison and whoever was there previously left the location completely ruined. The only place that didn’t remind her where they actually were was the main control room they usually worked in. It might have been thanks to the screens placed on the walls, but it did make the room appear a little brighter than it actually was.</p><p class="p1">The surroundings weren’t the worst part though. She had to talk to Theo and she already knew it wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation. Going through multiple databases, including a few hospitals that shared test results and asked for consults, she finally managed to find out what happened to his father. She didn’t really know how to go about it. Theo was definitely not going to be happy with the results of her research.</p><p class="p1">She shouldn’t be so moved by it. It didn’t really concern her, didn’t really affect <em>her</em> or what she had to do in any way. And yet it still hurt somehow, it was still so unfair. She was worried about Theo. She was worried both about telling him the truth and about keeping it from him; there was no way to tell how he was going to react. But she promised. And she was going to see it through, no matter how anxious she might have been about it.</p><p class="p1">Right now though she was watching Theo work. He was standing by a metal lathe, milling some new fittings and a metal cone for the missile Keener asked him to help with. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing and it surprised her a little. She did know how skilled he was with databases and drones in general but this was something else entirely. Watching him operate the machine like it was the easiest thing he’s done in his entire life made her both proud and hurt. It was a strange mix of feelings, probably having to do something with how brilliant he actually was and how unfair SHD has treated him knowing how much of an asset he could have been. It put what happened to his father in an entirely different perspective now and it was hard for her to pretend it didn’t affect her too.</p><p class="p1">„Stop staring at me. I can’t focus,” Theo’s words abruptly brought her back to reality.</p><p class="p1">„Quit flattering yourself,” she answered with a scowl. „You’re not the only one working on something here, Theo.”</p><p class="p1">„But I’m the one doing actual physical work and you’re making me uncomfortable.”</p><p class="p1">„Uncomfortable <em>how</em>?”</p><p class="p1">„I keep thinking whether I look good enough to keep your attention. I don’t need this right now.”</p><p class="p1">„And how exactly is this <em>my</em> fault?”</p><p class="p1">„You’re… very distracting.”</p><p class="p1">She snorted and rolled her eyes.</p><p class="p1">„Look who’s talking. You’re the one showing off here. Just get back to work and pretend I’m looking at something else.”</p><p class="p1">„You really think it’s that easy, huh?”</p><p class="p1">„It should be. I was under the impression that you’re a professional.”</p><p class="p1">„Most of the time, yes,” Theo smiled softly, taking his gloves off and drinking from a bottle of water nearby. „But it’s hard when you’re around.”</p><p class="p1">„I thought it’s easier when we’re working together.”</p><p class="p1">„It is. And it isn’t.”</p><p class="p1">She snorted again and returned her attention to the screen in front of her, feeling her heart sink again. She almost forgot what she had to tell him. Fuck, why couldn’t all this be just a <em>little </em>easier.</p><p class="p1">Theo got back to work and only a few seconds after he got the machine running again Paul entered the room, obviously stressed about something.</p><p class="p1">„Any word from Dragov?” He asked Anna, approaching her and standing right next to her desk.</p><p class="p1">„No. Why would he be contacting us?” She answered, feeling a little anxious about the tone of Paul’s voice.</p><p class="p1">„I can’t get through to him. Or any of his people,” Paul was obviously stressed and Anna was starting to feel stressed as well. „I was supposed to pick something up for him. It’s strange.”</p><p class="p1">„Give me a second, I’ll see if I can access some of the systems I put up there.”</p><p class="p1">Anna quickly closed all the tabs she was working on and opened the software she used to bring the targeting systems she build for Dragov online. Suddenly the system was flooded with red flags and alerts, making her feel panic rising in her stomach.</p><p class="p1">„What does this mean?” Paul asked, looking at the screen over her arm.</p><p class="p1">„It means,” she said, scrambling around her desk to find the one tablet she needed, „That they were attacked. Two hours ago. And that most of the targeting systems are offline, probably due to an EMP. It’s probably the Division. Fuck, why didn’t I see it in the logs?” When she found what she was looking for, she stood up immediately and put on a backpack. „We have to go there. We have to help them.”</p><p class="p1">„The three of us? How?”</p><p class="p1">„The two of us,” she answered, picking two drones from the shelf next to her. „Theo stays here. I’m going to take my recon drones and a few seeker mines. Fuck, if anything happened to Dragov…”</p><p class="p1">„Dragov is probably fine,” Theo chimed in from the other side of the room. „Are you sure you want to go there? Isn’t it dangerous?”</p><p class="p1">„We’ll see,” Anna answered, picking up a watch she was working on earlier. „I’ll take the new watch with me. If Dragov is alive, he’s going to need it.”</p><p class="p1"><em>If Dragov is alive. </em>Saying those words hurt much more than she would have thought.</p><p class="p1">„We can take my truck. It would be faster.” Paul suddenly spoke, putting on his backpack as well.</p><p class="p1">„Great. Just let me go through the system once more,” Anna held her breath going through the mission logs. If Dragov was taken by the Division, she would be able to tell. His name was nowhere in the database though. All she could find through ISAC was that the agents actually <em>did</em> face him, but nothing more than that. No information about him taken hostage. Which could only mean two things. He was either fine and managed to escape or he was dead.</p><p class="p1">„Let’s go,” Paul urged her. „We can do this on our way there.”</p><p class="p1">„You’re right. Theo, please don’t do anything stupid while we’re gone.”</p><p class="p1">„No promises.”</p><p class="p1">She shot him a glare and stood up, running after Paul to get to the truck and move towards the Financial District.</p><p class="p1">She had one more important call to make on the way.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">The Rikers let them into the hideout as soon as they recognized Paul’s truck. Anna wasn’t surprised to notice that there were visibly fewer of them scattered around the premises. Some were fine, some were wounded. All of them were angry.</p><p class="p1">„Thank God you’re here,” one of the Rikers approached the car as soon as they got out. If Anna remembered correctly, his name was Mike. „We got hit pretty bad. Those Division fuckers had EMPs and turrets. Almost all of our systems went offline.”</p><p class="p1">„I’m glad you’re fine though,” Anna said, smiling at the man, but still feeling anxious about the question she had to ask. „What about Dragov? Is he okay?”</p><p class="p1">„He’s alive,” she almost couldn’t believe in the relief that washed over her at those words. „But I’m not sure you’ll be able to talk to him. They got to him too. Almost ripped his arm off trying to get his watch.”</p><p class="p1">„Where is he? Are they still here?”</p><p class="p1">„Nah. We forced them to run as soon as they got what they came for. The shields and traps you modified really saved our asses here, you know. There would have been many more dead without your help.”</p><p class="p1">„How many casualties on your side?”</p><p class="p1">„I’d say something about thirty. A lot, but they were ready for the sacrifice.”</p><p class="p1">„And on theirs?”</p><p class="p1">„One. We got their sniper.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded and wanted to ask more about the casualty on the SHD side, but stopped herself at the last moment. She will check that later, but it did upset her a little. Was it someone she knew? She shook her head and followed the Riker with Paul, getting into one of the main buildings and forcing her own mind to shove those thoughts into the back of her head. No time for sentiments now. Yet speaking of sentiments, she remembered this actual building well; it was the place where she was stationed when they were taking care of her bullet wounds. As if on cue, the wounds suddenly started hurting.</p><p class="p1">She called Joaquin on their way to the hideout to ask him about the mission. He was there with the agents and it made her both a little at ease and a little more anxious. He was on their side and has already shown loyalty by helping Javier Kajika. On the other hand though, if SHD saw through him there was no telling what could have happened. Joaquin had no idea what happened to Dragov though. He said Blaze was in direct confrontation with him. That actually added to her worry; she knew how focused Blaze was and how deadly he could be, especially if an enemy got under his skin. It was probably the reason why there was no information on Dragov’s current state in the system. Blaze knew she might be looking. He didn’t want to make it easier for her.</p><p class="p1">When they entered the room Dragov was in, Anna almost felt like crying, but managed to stop herself at the last moment. It was the last thing any of them needed now. It didn’t change the fact that Dragov was in a really bad shape. His face was beaten up and cut in a few spots; no longer bleeding, but not yet swollen. There was a lot of blood on his t-shirt, probably from the cuts she just saw. What worried her the most though was his legs. He was mostly patched up by now but it was clear that there were multiple fractures in his bones.</p><p class="p1">Paul approached the bed Dragov was laying on from one side, obviously shaken up by the man’s state just as Anna was. She approached from the other and involuntarily reached out to touch his hand, retreating in the last moment. She didn’t want to cause him any additional pain.</p><p class="p1">„Careful with that hand there,” she heard a murmur so quiet she was only able to hear it because of the dead silence in the room. „I said… you’re not my type.”</p><p class="p1">She never thought that hearing a bad joke would make her so happy.</p><p class="p1">„Fuck your type,” she answered, her voice shaky from the overwhelming emotions. „I’m just glad you’re alive.”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah… I’m not sure how <em>I</em> feel about that, cupcake.”</p><p class="p1">It was obviously hard for him to speak, but Mike was immediately by his side, holding a bottle of water. Anna took it from him and placed it against Dragov’s mouth, forcing him to drink at least a little. He looked at her then, the usual mischievous spark hidden beneath pain.</p><p class="p1">„I knew something was wrong when you didn’t pick up the phone,” Paul said after a while, adjusting Dragov’s pillow so it was easier for him to drink. „Fuck, we should have never left.”</p><p class="p1">„This would have happened regardless, Paul,” Dragov spoke after a while, strain obvious in his voice. „At least without you both here I didn’t have to worry.”</p><p class="p1">Anna sighed and looked around the room, noticing a fridge. She was hoping to find something to stop the swelling on Dragov’s face. Rummaging through it she managed to find four cold packs. She couldn’t believe how well equipped the Rikers were, especially in the hideout itself.</p><p class="p1">She came back to the bed, wrapped the cold packs in some towels and placed them against the stitched cuts. There were two on Dragov’s brow, one on his cheek and two on his jaw. He groaned at the contact, but it was an appreciative groan.</p><p class="p1">„Thanks, cupcake,” he said after a while, earning a frown from Anna. „Ow! Okay, I’m not gonna call you that again, don’t press so hard!”</p><p class="p1">„Sorry. My hand slipped.”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah, right.”</p><p class="p1">„Anyway,” Anna sighed and made herself more comfortable, making sure that she was holding the cold packs firmly against Dragov’s face, „I assume that they took your watch?”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. I have no idea why they need that shit though. I don’t really need it to access the network and it’s not like they will be able to.”</p><p class="p1">„They don’t have any other way in. They’re hoping to get into your communication with Keener. But let me worry about that. I brought you a new one.”</p><p class="p1">„A new watch?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. I added a few important features that would be helpful. For one, it would allow for better flow of information between us. So that nothing like that happens again.”</p><p class="p1">„And how would you have stopped it, huh?”</p><p class="p1">„There <em>are </em>ways to do that, Dragov. I could have used more technology. I could have given you more control over the targeting system. Better turrets.”</p><p class="p1">„Hey, am I hearing you right? You honestly think that it was your fault?”</p><p class="p1">„That they attacked? No. That thirty of your people died? Yes.”</p><p class="p1">Silence fell in the room then, interrupted only by a steady drip of an IV. He knew what she meant. She didn’t need to explain. No matter what he said, she would not change her mind.</p><p class="p1">„They killed Duchess, you know,” Mike spoke suddenly, busying himself with some of the linens laying around the room. „I think it was the heaviest blow of all.”</p><p class="p1">„And they’re going <em>down </em>for it,” suddenly there was so much more anger in Dragov’s voice. „Duchess was my best soldier. And my best friend. They split her head open. I’m never forgiving that. But you,” he suddenly turned his face towards Anna, „If it wasn’t for you, we would have a hundred bodies here today instead of thirty. So I just want you to remember that.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded and once again tried to stop the tears threatening to spill as soon as she spoke. He was right. She knew it, but it still hurt.</p><p class="p1">„Can you leave us for a moment, Mike?” Dragov’s question came as a surprise.</p><p class="p1">„Sure, boss,” Mike turned around to leave immediately. „Just call on us if you need anything.”</p><p class="p1">„I will. But we need to talk.”</p><p class="p1">With that, Mike left the room and Anna and Paul were left with Dragov.</p><p class="p1">„What is this about?” Paul asked, sitting on a nearby chair. Anna did the same on the other side of the bed, still holding the cold packs.</p><p class="p1">„I have been thinking recently,” Dragov spoke, his throat dry again; Paul was immediately by his side, holding a bottle of water. „Thanks. You know, I once thought that the Rikers were just a bunch of criminals with guns for brains, but seeing how that changed under my leadership I couldn’t stop but think.”</p><p class="p1">„About what?”</p><p class="p1">Dragov sighed deeply, cursed under his breath because of the pain and then sighed again.</p><p class="p1">„If what you plan to do actually works… and by what you plan I mean exposing SHD and JTF for the shit they’ve done… there will be no authority left for people to turn to. I know Bardon wants it to be the Black Tusk, but they’re too shady and too well funded for me to trust them. My idea is that… we create an alternative for the Division. For SHD. Not only based on the Rikers, but other factions that could be helpful under the right leadership.”</p><p class="p1">Anna blinked. She hasn’t thought about this before. Leadership and politics were not her thing, but Dragov obviously had a point. People needed an alternative. No alternative meant no hope for a better tomorrow.</p><p class="p1">„I actually think that it’s a great idea,” Paul spoke before Anna managed to say the exact same thing. „With your connections and the people you know it could actually work.”</p><p class="p1">„That’s exactly my point. It wasn’t easy to get to where I am now. But all I want to do is protect my people, my family. Look at what we managed to accomplish here. And there are many more like us. Of course it won’t be simple and it won’t happen overnight, but there <em>needs </em>to be an alternative. I want you to think on that. And I want to ask you for your help.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded. The idea behind what Dragov was saying made a lot of sense. It was going to be very complicated though.</p><p class="p1">„I will help you however I can,” she answered. „I don’t know a single thing about leadership and such, but I can work in the background. And you’re right. There needs to be an alternative. And if we have to build it from scratch to have it, then so be it.”</p><p class="p1">Dragov smiled at that, although the pain made his grimace look more like a squint. Anna smiled. Who would have thought that this man could have such bold ideas. She definitely underestimated him.</p><p class="p1">„I will help too,” Paul said soon after. „I know my way around things. And I know a few people as well. If we combine what we have, I think we can set up a reliable network and then build on top of that.”</p><p class="p1">„That’s exactly what I think we should do. And speaking of networks,” Dragov turned to Anna again, „If we manage to remove Keener from the equation we could use the network Theo is setting up for him. Both as an alternative to ISAC and as a base for our communication.”</p><p class="p1">„We could,” Anna nodded. „I don’t know much about this network though. I’ll have to look into it. Theo doesn’t let me help but I can sneak into a few databases to take a peek. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”</p><p class="p1">„I’m sure he wouldn’t mind you sneaking into a few other places as well,” The tone of his voice changed suddenly, a smug smile present on his face.„I can tell you about…”</p><p class="p1">„OKAY,” Anna pressed the cold packs against Dragov’s face again, effectively shutting him up. „I can see that you’re perfectly fine now, if your stupid jokes are anything to go by. It’s time for us to go back. We’ll think about what you said. I’m leaving you this watch. Please call me as soon as you put it on so that I can walk you through the configuration process.”</p><p class="p1">„You’re no fun,” Dragov sighed, „Anyway, thank you. I’ll talk to you as soon as I can.”</p><p class="p1">„Please do. Now hold the cold packs please.”</p><p class="p1">Dragov moved his hands up to his face and took the cold packs from Anna, but it was obviously hard for him to hold them by himself. Anna made a mental note to find someone to help him on their way back. She did feel strangely at ease though. Everything seemed to be falling into place and she couldn’t shake the feeling that Dragov’s idea was one more fitting piece of the puzzle.</p><p class="p1">As soon as she and Paul left the hideout though, she was once again weighed down by the conversation she still had to have with Theo.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Afternoon came fast and Anna knew there was no way to put it off any longer. She turned her laptop off, took a deep breath and decided to finally get it over with. Theo was just done with some work he was doing on the network and she decided to take this opportunity to finally talk to him.</p><p class="p1">„Hey, Theo,” she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. He shivered and turned towards her with surprise. „I have to talk to you. Do you have a moment?”</p><p class="p1">„Uhh… sure,” he answered, eyeing the hand on his shoulder suspiciously. „Considering that you’re touching me I assume it’s something serious.”</p><p class="p1">Anna was surprised with that statement, but he was right. She didn’t really enjoy random physical contact that much. Right now however she felt like it was the right thing to do and her own comfort was not the priority.</p><p class="p1">„It is. Can we, I don’t know, sit down somewhere quiet?”</p><p class="p1">She could see that he was nervous. It wasn’t evident in his voice, but it seemed like his entire body was alert rather than relaxed. Barely noticeable, and yet she knew him well enough by now to see the difference.</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. Come on.”</p><p class="p1">He led her into one of the rooms that used to be offices. Most of them have been ruined and stuffed with random garbage, but there was one that Theo used for sleeping. It had a pretty comfortable couch and a desk. And working electricity, which was pretty rare in the compound.</p><p class="p1">„I’m sorry,” Anna said as soon as they entered the room. „I didn’t want to scare you or anything. I just need to talk to you about your father.”</p><p class="p1">Theo sat down on the couch, clenching his jaw and trying to appear more confident than he actually was.</p><p class="p1">„What did you manage to find?”</p><p class="p1">Anna sat down next to him and sighed. She was not going to dance around the subject. He had to know.</p><p class="p1">„Your father wasn’t murdered,” she said, looking him straight in the eyes, hoping that would make him at least a little more comfortable. „He actually had a heart attack.”</p><p class="p1">At first it seemed as if Theo didn’t actually hear her.</p><p class="p1">„Th… that’s impossible,” he said after what seemed like eternity, a nervous laugh obvious in his voice. „I know he was murdered. <em>I know </em>what happened. I just couldn’t find any proof because the autopsy record went missing and…”</p><p class="p1">Anna silenced him by placing her hand on his shoulder again and squeezing lightly.</p><p class="p1">„It did go missing because that’s exactly what SHD wanted to happen. They wanted to make his death a fucking <em>asset</em>. The autopsy report was removed from all databases, but the hospital your father was at has asked for a second opinion. That’s how I know what really happened. The other hospital <em>did </em>issue a diagnosis based on the information they received. They also had a copy of the autopsy report. It <em>was</em> a heart attack, Theo.”</p><p class="p1">She could see that Theo’s eyes widened in surprise. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out.</p><p class="p1">„I… but how…”</p><p class="p1">„It’s no wonder you weren’t able to find that information,” she continued after a while. „All the data was hidden behind SHD system walls. It wasn’t ISAC though. It was a deliberate action performed by SHD. You probably won’t be surprised to hear why they did it.”</p><p class="p1">„Why?”</p><p class="p1">„To get to you. They knew it would motivate you to join and that you would be a great asset. They played you, Theo. They played you in the worst possible way and honestly, I’m disgusted with what they did.”</p><p class="p1">Theo was still shaking, this time more visibly.</p><p class="p1">„Can… can I see the report?”</p><p class="p1">„Sure. Here you go.”</p><p class="p1">With that, Anna handed Theo a tablet with the documents she managed to find in e-mails exchanged between two hospitals. She did have to go through it manually, one by one; even specifying the date range didn’t really narrow it down that much as the dates were deliberately mixed up. But she finally found it. And when she put two and two together, the entire situation made her so angry she would have sworn to bring SHD to justice if she wasn’t already on a crusade.</p><p class="p1">It must have been much worse for Theo.</p><p class="p1">She kept looking at him, trying to somehow show him that she was there, that she was going to support him. But the truth was she had no idea what to do. She was never any good at consolations. Hell, she couldn’t have even consoled <em>herself </em>when her colleagues were killed. So she just sat there, hand on his shoulder, trying to give him at least a tiny bit of comfort.</p><p class="p1">She wasn’t ready to see him <em>cry</em>.</p><p class="p1">It started with a few stray tears trailing down his cheeks, followed by a sniffle that he was desperately trying to hide. It actually made Anna wince a little with surprise, but she didn’t let go. She was still there, still next to him, still willing to wait it out for as long as he needed it.</p><p class="p1">But he didn’t stop. At some point he put the tablet away and used the back of his hand to wipe the tears away from his face. After that it got even worse. Theo hid his face in his hands and started sobbing uncontrollably, not even trying to hide it anymore. So without much thinking Anna did the first thing that came to her mind and that would supposedly have given him a little more comfort.</p><p class="p1">She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, letting him rest his head against her chest. He was obviously surprised with the gesture but didn’t pull away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in the crook of her neck.</p><p class="p1">„It’s alright,” she said on autopilot without giving it much thought, moving her left hand just enough to tangle her fingers in his hair.</p><p class="p1">„It’s not,” he answered, his breath warm and moist against her collarbone, tears still falling from his eyes. „<em>Nothing </em>is fucking <em>alright.</em>”</p><p class="p1">She smiled to herself. He was right. Too smart for his own good. She should have known that simple consolation techniques were not going to work on Theo.</p><p class="p1">„I know,” she admitted after a while, closing her eyes and whispering softly straight into the top of his head. „But it will be. I promise.”</p><p class="p1">Theo didn’t say anything after that. He just kept clinging to her, trying to control his breathing. And yet he couldn’t stop crying. He kept going on and on, violent outbursts of tears stopping him whenever he wanted to say something. Suddenly, Anna noticed that he was starting to hyperventilate. At that point she actually started to worry.</p><p class="p1">„Wait here,” she said immediately, trying to untangle herself from him. „You’re having a panic attack. I’m going to bring you something to help you breathe.”</p><p class="p1">She wanted to get up but Theo held her down.</p><p class="p1">„Don’t go. <em>Please</em>. I’ll be okay. Just… don’t leave me. <em>Please</em>.”</p><p class="p1">Unable to ignore such a desperate plea she sat back down, placing a hand on Theo’s cheek to make him look her in the eyes.</p><p class="p1">„I’m going to ask you to breathe then,” she said, touching his forehead with hers, forcing him to close his eyes. „Breathe in counting to four. Hold for one second. Breathe out counting to four. And then again.”</p><p class="p1">He did as he was told, following her directions exactly. Some stray tears still found their way down his cheeks but he was finally starting to calm down. Noticing a change in his breathing Anna finally felt relief wash over her too.</p><p class="p1">„I’m sorry,” he said after a while, forehead still pressed against hers. „It’s… It’s a lot to process.”</p><p class="p1">„I understand,” she answered, moving away a little to look him in the eyes again. „And I’m sorry too. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear. But it’s the truth, Theo.”</p><p class="p1">„I know. It actually makes sense now that I think about it. But I can’t believe I was stupid enough to let them play me like this. Using my own <em>father</em>, for fuck’s sake.”</p><p class="p1">„That was a very shitty move that they’re going to pay for, Theo. But none of this was your fault. I would have done the same if I were in your shoes.”</p><p class="p1">„No you wouldn’t.”</p><p class="p1">„I would. I may not seem like it, but I let emotions cloud my judgment far too often. And then I’m mad at myself. It was the same with going against SHD; I let my emotions get in the way of telling the truth. But I’m learning not to do that anymore.”</p><p class="p1">Theo snorted at that, obviously feeling a lot better.</p><p class="p1">„You and me both, I guess.”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. You and me both.”</p><p class="p1">They sat together for a while longer, not saying anything; just <em>being </em>in the moment, suddenly much more comfortable without the tension in the room. Anna had to admit that she was feeling peaceful too. Grounded.</p><p class="p1">Finally not alone.</p><p class="p1">„Thank you,” Theo said after a while, startling Anna by grabbing her hand. „And I’m sorry you had to see that. I guess I just had to <em>finally </em>let it all out.”</p><p class="p1">„It’s fine,” she said, smiling a little. „I don’t mind. I’m just sorry I couldn’t help you more.”</p><p class="p1">„You already helped me more than anyone ever has.”</p><p class="p1">Somehow this statement made Anna pause and look Theo in the eyes again. She realized it was the first time she has ever heard anyone say something like that. And <em>fuck</em>, he actually meant it. It felt… <em>strange</em>.</p><p class="p1">„Don’t mention it,” she answered fast to take her focus away from Theo’s questioning eyes. „I’m sure you would have done the same for me.”</p><p class="p1">„You’re right. I would have. It doesn’t make you any less awesome.”</p><p class="p1">Anna laughed at that, feeling a blush creeping onto her cheeks.</p><p class="p1">„Thank you. Now let’s get back to work. Or we can stay here for a while longer if you need more time to calm down.”</p><p class="p1">„It’s fine. I wasted enough of your time already.”</p><p class="p1">„You’re not wasting my time, Theo. I don’t want you to think like that. I don’t… want to see you hurt. I don’t want to see you suffer. But it doesn’t always depend on me. So where it does, I want to be there for you. That’s all.”</p><p class="p1">Theo blinked, actual surprise evident on his face, but before he managed to say anything Annastood up from the couch, stretching her arms a little. She always thought she could hide her emotions well enough so that they wouldn’t get in the way of rationality. But it was different with Theo. It was hard to push those feelings away, hard to hide them in the back of her head. But she couldn’t be distracted now, she couldn’t allow herself to be vulnerable. So she stood up and just as she was about to leave, Theo finally spoke.</p><p class="p1">„Thank you,” he said right before she went through the door. „It means a lot to me.”</p><p class="p1">„It means a lot to me too,” she admitted, turning around and sending him one last smile before leaving the room.</p><p class="p1">The realization that it actually <em>did </em>mean a lot was not something she was ready for.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Intruder</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sometimes you have to lie to your superiors to protect them from the truth. Not to hide it from them.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">The room was small, furnished only with the absolute necessities - a bed, some tables, two chairs and a small wardrobe. Unlike most of Haven’s private rooms however, this one had a window - an actual window overlooking the entrance, some trees and green vines climbing the building on the other side. Paul Rhodes often found himself distracted by the vines whenever he would sit on the bed. There was a lot of green in the city in general now; he actually liked the fact that nature was trying to fight back, yet at the same time it definitely made the surroundings more likable, more pleasant to look at. He never enjoyed the concrete of the city too much. This specific vine however would always make him wonder as it seemed to expand almost daily. Was the ground below really rich enough for it to thrive that much? Or was it the surroundings, the peace and quiet that let it grow with no boundaries? He was never a sentimental man, neither did he believe in stupid symbolism or coincidences. Nevertheless, he suddenly realized that his work with Anna could easily be compared to this vine. Maybe it was the reason why he couldn’t help but look at it and follow the curve of its leaves up to the very top of the building.</p><p class="p1">He sighed. He didn’t know how many times he came into this room hoping that it would all turn out to be a horrible dream. That Anna wasn’t really gone, that he would find her here, sitting in front of a computer, making stupid jokes and calling him an old man filled with regrets. Just like she always did. But she wasn’t here, she wasn’t around anymore. And it was very unlikely that she would be coming back.</p><p class="p1">He has grown accustomed to loss, to despair, to the feeling of emptiness in his chest every single time he lost an associate, every single time he lost a friend. But this was different and there was no use pretending otherwise anymore. Anna was not just his friend and not just his colleague. He thought of her as of a daughter he never had. As of his legacy. Maybe if he told her how important she really was to him she would have never left. Maybe if he supported her more they could be walking down a different path together. Hell, <em>he </em>was the one who was so reluctant about SHD and yet it was <em>him </em>who kept telling her that she has to abide by the rules, to let it all go. If he knew then what he knew now it would have definitely been different. But it was too late now. Anna was gone and most likely working against SHD, trying to <em>actually </em>protect people from the evil of this world. Something he was never strong enough to do on his own. Something he <em>should have been doing</em> and yet never was brave enough to start. Maybe it was true, maybe he <em>was </em>too old for this now. Maybe he should just let go. But there was something there, this tiny speck of hope, this underlying notion that maybe not all was lost. That maybe there was still a way to do <em>good</em>.</p><p class="p1">Shame he had no idea what <em>good </em>was anymore.</p><p class="p1">He sighed again and stood up, angry at himself. He shouldn’t be coming here. The entire equipment that used to be Anna’s was redistributed by now, most of it put into storage, some given to other agents. They were trying to find out what she was up to and when they <em>of course </em>didn’t manage to find anything on her hard drives, they just decided to reuse them. They assumed that if she hasn’t been back for over a month, she was not coming back anymore. Maybe they were right. But the way and ease with which SHD just gave up on her made his blood boil. She was one of their best and brightest and they simply brushed her existence off as if she was just somebody stopping by from time to time. No official information, no records, no database entry. Her status was still <em>unknown</em>. And yet it felt like it was more akin to <em>unimportant</em>.</p><p class="p1">Of course they will hunt her if she turned rogue. Of course they will bring her to <em>justice</em>. But what was justice really? Who decided what was just and unjust? Was going against SHD unjust by itself? Or was it actually <em>just</em>, considering how much harm they have done along the way?</p><p class="p1">Well, there was no use thinking about it now. Be as it may, Paul still had a job to do. They were still hunting Keener and they were one step closer with every single bit of intel they managed to gather. The watches they took from Keener’s lieutenants have indeed proven to be great assets in the hunt. But they were still not there yet, there was still something they needed to do.</p><p class="p1">So Paul finally stood up from the bed, stretched his back a little and started making his way to the final briefing.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Blaze was sitting in the briefing room, feet up on the table, going through something on one of his tablets. He was angry and he was restless. They have come so far and yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something they missed, that there was something they weren’t looking into deep enough. It almost seemed too easy. Find the watches, get the intel, try to gather as much information as you can on the way. He was skeptical by nature and the contents of the intel didn’t help. Conversation parts? Map locations? They could have used ISAC for that. Well, most of it. But they would still be left with a number of locations that could easily be covered by a few groups of agents. Going after one lieutenant after another didn’t seem like a reasonable approach. But then again, there was never a reasonable approach to situations like these.</p><p class="p1">„Don’t you find it suspicious?” He asked after a while, his question directed at Joaquin sitting on the other side of the table. „Don’t you think it’s a little too simple?”</p><p class="p1">„What is?” Joaquin asked, putting away the report he was reading and adjusting his glasses a little.</p><p class="p1">„This. <em>Keener</em>. The entire hunt. Doesn’t it seem strange to you? How we just manage to find pieces of intel and how easy it is to put it together?”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin frowned.</p><p class="p1">„What do you mean by <em>simple</em>? We had to <em>kill </em>people to get it, Blaze. As far as I remember the first person we got intel from was imprisoned, the second one escaped, yes, but the third one was <em>barely alive </em>when the Rikers chased us away from their hideout. I’m pretty sure Dragov is dead by now, by the way. So are the Rikers and Cleaners that got in our way. So what are you hinting at? I don’t think I get it.”</p><p class="p1">„Look, all I’m saying is that if it’s an operation this big, if Keener is really onto something, he would be more careful. Maybe he’s leading us into a trap. Maybe we’re doing exactly what he wants us to do.”</p><p class="p1">„We thought about that. It’s unlikely. Plus, it’s not like getting the intel pieced together is <em>easy</em>. Rhodes is working his ass off with that and honestly, I highly doubt that anyone else could do it.”</p><p class="p1">„Anna could do it. Maybe <em>she’s </em>behind all that. Do you think she could be working for Keener?”</p><p class="p1">„I don’t know her that well to say for sure, man. Do <em>you</em>?”</p><p class="p1">„I don’t think so, but then again… you never know. She ran away with a rogue agent. So maybe I didn’t know her that well either.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin sighed, trying to mask the sudden uneasiness he felt at those words. Was Blaze onto something? Or was he just being overly cautious? He did know that Blaze was usually very rational with his approach to missions and intel and to be honest, his questions <em>did </em>seem reasonable. Or maybe he was suspecting something. There was no way to tell, but Joaquin wasn’t going to make it any easier for him, whichever of the two options it was.</p><p class="p1">„Do you have any idea <em>why </em>she ran? I mean, it’s not like she’s a homicidal maniac or anything. At least from what I’ve heard,” he said after a while, trying to direct the conversation a little differently.</p><p class="p1">„I have no idea. If I were to find <em>one </em>person that was fully devoted to the cause, I would have immediately said Anna.”</p><p class="p1">„The <em>cause</em>?”</p><p class="p1">„Keeping people safe. Taking care of them. That’s why it doesn’t sit right with me. The rogue agents we’re hunting to get to Keener are murderers. Criminals. People who are not afraid to kill for their own personal gain. But they were Division agents once. They believed in the cause too. And yet they turned their backs against SHD. We all remember what happened with the infamous First Wave, but it’s not just them. I keep thinking that maybe we’re missing something here.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin smiled. It’s not like he hasn’t been having the same thoughts for some time now.</p><p class="p1">„I may not be the smartest and most experienced man in the room,” he said after a while. „But I can tell you one thing. You never know what lies behind people’s motivations. Some were hurt. Some were betrayed. Some got back up after that and kept going, but some got angry with the injustice of it all. I don’t think that all those people had one unanimous reason to go rogue or go against SHD. Someone’s inconvenience can be someone else’s breaking point.”</p><p class="p1">„True,” Blaze admitted and put his tablet away. „I just wish we had more information. Both about the sources of intel and about the people we’re supposed to hunt down. I don’t like surprises and there’s not much we can find about our targets through ISAC. Maybe that’s why it seems too easy. These people are just targets somebody’s marking for us. It might be for the better though. Overthinking could make it harder.”</p><p class="p1">Yeah. That was one thing Blaze was absolutely right about. Agents were not meant to ask questions. They were meant to follow orders.</p><p class="p1">Before Joaquin managed to make a point though Marta entered the briefing room, greeting them both with a wave of her hand. She sat down at one of the tables and took out her laptop.</p><p class="p1">„Hey Marta. How are your injuries?” Joaquin asked immediately, very glad to have an excuse to change the subject.</p><p class="p1">„Better, thank you,” she answered quickly with a smile. „Although I’m still a little sore. I guess my age is finally catching up with me.”</p><p class="p1">Blaze snorted with a laugh and Joaquin did so as well. He enjoyed Marta’s company so much during all the assignments and briefings. Some might have been saying that she was too light-hearted to participate in the most demanding missions, but those who have worked with her knew that it wasn’t true. She would usually mask her worries and problems with a smile, but they all knew it was just a farce. She was a deadly and precise asset during every single mission they had to carry out together. He wouldn’t have traded her company for anyone else’s.</p><p class="p1">„Tell me about it,” Blaze said after a while, removing his feet from the table and sitting in his chair more comfortably. „Sometimes I feel like a simple sneeze could hurt my back so badly it would be impossible to get back up from the bed. I guess we’re all too old for this shit.”</p><p class="p1">„We might be,” Joaquin added, a smile on his face as well. „But hey, somebody has to do it. I’d rather it was us than some random kids who should preferably be at school right now.”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. I’m glad SHD didn’t employ the old army recruitment standards.”</p><p class="p1">Alani Kelso entered the room as well, seeing the agents relaxed actually making her usual scowl soften a little too.</p><p class="p1">„Look who’s having fun here,” she said, but the underlying smile made the statement more playful than usual. „Don’t you guys have any work to do?”</p><p class="p1">„We will in a minute, I guess,” Blaze answered, smiling again. Kelso sent him a mockingly reprimanding look.</p><p class="p1">„Yeah, you will,” at this point, Paul Rhodes entered the room as well. „We managed to extract the final assets we needed and overlay our previous findings according to what we have now. It’s almost the end of the line, guys. You have done an amazing job.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin was suddenly at the edge of his seat. Remembering how fast he had to work with Javier Kajika to hide his watch and then organize a successful escape for both of them he was hoping that it would have turned out to be worth it. Sounding the alarm in time for the Rikers to save Dragov was not an easy task as well, especially with Blaze watching them all closely. But Anna was very precise about her instructions. Dragov had to survive. He was essential and it occurred to him that when they talked, she seemed to be genuinely worried about the guy. He might have been wrong, but a hunch kept telling him that it was indeed Anna’s plan to go about this entire thing with as few casualties as possible. Honestly, it was a sentiment he shared as well. And seeing her concern he actually had a feeling that Dragov couldn’t have been that bad of a guy in the long run.</p><p class="p1">„So have you,” he answered fast, remembering the conversation he had with Blaze. „It couldn’t have been easy putting it all together.”</p><p class="p1">„It wasn’t. In fact, it was the most tedious job I ever had to do. Still,” Paul approached a screen on the wall and turned it on, showing a map of New York. „I managed to extract some information that we have been looking for for a while. I finally know what Keener wants to do.”</p><p class="p1">„And that is?”</p><p class="p1">„He is planning to launch a missile,” the image shown on the screen suddenly changed to that of a radius covering the entire city. „A missile that would spread a more deadly version of the virus throughout New York. The little stunt he and his lieutenants pulled at the JTF Base of Operations was supposed to be a prelude to what he actually wanted to do. He wanted us to see it and he wanted us to run scared. He’s going to be in for a surprise when we take him head on.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin almost gasped at that, looking around the room. Everybody seemed to be just as fazed as he was.</p><p class="p1">„I assume that we will have to stop the missile?” It was Blaze who asked the question first.</p><p class="p1">„Yes. We don’t know where it is located yet, but,” Rhodes used his tablet again to show the map once more, this time focusing on a specific point in the Civic Center, „we know where to find this information. It’s time we went after Theo Parnell. There was data in Dragov’s watch that led us directly to where we can find him. Look for a drone crash site on one of the rooftops in the center. You get me that drone and I’ll tell you everything you need to do to find him.”</p><p class="p1">„And he’s connected to the operation how?” The question came from Marta. „Apart from being one of Keener’s lieutenants of course?”</p><p class="p1">„We believe he is the one who designed the missile,” Rhodes answered, putting the tablet away. „There was some data on Dragov’s watch suggesting that Dragov himself was getting resources for Parnell. And the resources imply that, well, he’s working on a ground-to-air missile. It’s not that hard to put two and two together.”</p><p class="p1">Marta nodded and started typing on her laptop. Joaquin suddenly felt his chest constrict with worry. Going for Parnell meant going for Anna as well. He was hoping that they do realize that. And if Anna’s choices were anything to go by, he honestly couldn’t believe that Parnell was just a criminal happy to do Keener’s bidding. Dragov and Kajika definitely weren’t.</p><p class="p1">„Somebody has to address the elephant in the room,” Blaze’s voice suddenly came from the other side of the table. „What do we do with Anna if we find her with Parnell?”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin looked at Rhodes. The man was good with hiding his true feelings. Only a single twitch of his left eyelid suggested that the question might have been hard for him to answer.</p><p class="p1">„You know what we do,” there was no note in his voice suggesting any emotional attachment at all. „If she’s helping him, you treat her the same as him. Simple as that.”</p><p class="p1">Silence fell in the room, but Blaze didn’t seem too convinced.</p><p class="p1">„So let me get this straight,” he said after a while, obviously carefully measuring every single word. „It doesn’t matter why she turned her back on us. If she’s accompanying a rogue agent, who is our target meant for incarceration or eradication, are we supposed to treat her like a target as well?”</p><p class="p1">Rhodes didn’t answer. It seemed like he suddenly forgot how to speak.</p><p class="p1">„Yes,” Alani Kelso answered in his stead. „We don’t care why she left. We don’t care what she was thinking. She swore an oath to serve SHD and turned her back on us. If she’s no longer one of us, we cannot allow her expertise to fall into the hands of an enemy.”</p><p class="p1">„Isn’t it a little too late for that?”</p><p class="p1">„We don’t know that. There has been no breach so far. For what we all know, she can already be dead.”</p><p class="p1">She wouldn’t be stupid enough to just breach the systems, Joaquin thought. Or to give sensitive data to the enemy. He was sure that Rhodes knew this as well. Seeing how his posture changed at Kelso’s words though really made him feel sorry for the man. Maybe he should tell him. Let him know that Anna is alive. Safe. Well, <em>mostly </em>safe.</p><p class="p1">But he couldn’t do that without exposing himself.</p><p class="p1">„Alright then,” Blaze added after a while, reaching for one of his tablets. „I suggest we stay in the room for a while to think what loadout we’re going to leave with. It’s not going to be easy.”</p><p class="p1">„I agree,” Marta added in a second. „From what I gathered Parnell is a master of decoys, he won’t be that easy to catch.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh yeah, I remember his fucking <em>decoys</em>,” Blaze snorted. „I’m really hoping we have a good EMP with us this time. I’m not falling for the same trick twice.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh, an EMP is not going to be enough,” Marta was quick to join, already looking through her own files. „We’re going to need a decoy of our own. I’m suggesting the old hologram thing, what was it called? It was supposed to imitate a sniper?”</p><p class="p1">„No way. It’s Anna’s unfinished project.”</p><p class="p1">„Damn.”</p><p class="p1">Blaze and Marta kept going through ideas back and forth, Alani Kelso joining them from time to time, and Joaquin really wanted to appear as if he was listening, but it was so hard to concentrate on the actual conversation while the only thing going through his head was the worry that Anna might not be ready for <em>everything</em>. She seemed to know exactly what she was doing when they talked, but <em>hell</em>, there was an entire <em>team </em>talking about taking Theo Parnell down and possibly her along with him. He had to let her know somehow, he had to talk to her, but it wasn’t going to be easy without raising any suspicions, especially right after a briefing. He had to wait, but he <em>really </em>needed to talk to her before they leave.</p><p class="p1">Looking around the room and trying to join the conversation he noticed Paul Rhodes looking at him intently, as if trying to read his face. It took all the strength he had to simply smile at the man and try to brush this train of thought off as the usual pre-mission stuff. Paul didn’t seem to be convinced though. He approached Joaquin and looked him straight in the eyes.</p><p class="p1">„You and me,” he said, motioning between the two of them with his hand. „Outside. Now.”</p><p class="p1">„Paul, I…”</p><p class="p1">„Now.”</p><p class="p1">Not wanting to cause a scene in front of Kelso and the other agents, Joaquin sighed and stood up, following Rhodes outside. It was raining, but the fresh smell of rain was actually more refreshing than anything else Joaquin could have imagined. He would have enjoyed it much more if he wasn’t so stressed.</p><p class="p1">„Talk to me,” Rhodes said as soon as they were outside. „You know something.”</p><p class="p1">„I have no idea what you’re talking about, Rhodes.”</p><p class="p1">„Quit the bullshit. I know you well enough, Serrano. You’re terrible at lying and you have the worst poker face I’ve seen in my life. Others may not care, but I know. You know I know. So tell me.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin sighed. Rhodes <em>was </em>right. He was never any good at bluffing. But this was much bigger than him, much bigger than the both of them. He couldn’t have allowed anyone to know.</p><p class="p1">„There’s nothing to tell.”</p><p class="p1">Rhodes inhaled then and Joaquin honestly thought that the man was going to turn away, but instead he balled his hand into a fist and hit the wall right next to Joaquin’s head. Hard. Possibly hard enough to draw blood.</p><p class="p1">„You don’t understand,” Rhodes whispered through gritted teeth, looking Joaquin straight in the eyes. „You have no idea how <em>important </em>this is. I need to know. I’m not asking for anything <em>too </em>confidential. I don’t want to know the details. I won’t tell anyone. Just <em>please</em>, let me know if she’s okay.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin was torn. Mostly mentally, but he could feel it <em>physically</em>, pulling at his soul and making him feel actual pain in his chest. He should tell him. But if he told him and Rhodes in turn told <em>anyone</em>, he would be done for. He would be marked as a traitor. And he was ready for that if necessary, but <em>not yet. </em>There were still things that he needed to do, still some assets he had to secure. His protection was invaluable in the Civic Center assault that they were planning. If Rhodes pulls him from the mission, they’re done for. If he doesn’t tell him, he’s going to break his heart.</p><p class="p1">There was no good way out of this. Hell, there wasn’t even a <em>less shitty </em>one.</p><p class="p1">„Believe me, Rhodes,” he said after a while, every single word adding to the physical pain he was feeling. „I would have told you if I knew anything. But I have no idea. I mean, I didn’t even <em>know </em>Anna that well.”</p><p class="p1">Maybe that’s why she picked me, he thought. Maybe that’s why she and Parnell shared the data with <em>me </em>of all people. Because I wasn’t emotionally engaged. Because I had no idea about her relationship with Rhodes.</p><p class="p1">Well, that was in the past now. Seeing the man’s broken spirit reflecting in his eyes was the hardest thing he had to endure in the past few months.</p><p class="p1">„I understand,” Rhodes said after a while, averting his gaze. „I’m sorry. I’m just… tired, I guess. I really want to know what happened to her. I did notice someone going through ISAC databases recently and I thought it could be her, but <em>fuck</em>, it could have been that Parnell kid as well. I don’t know what I’m doing, Serrano. Sorry. I’m probably just too old for this shit.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin sighed with relief, but the pain in his chest wasn’t gone. He placed a hand on Rhodes’ arm, trying to appear more sympathetic.</p><p class="p1">„I promise you,” he said, encouraging Rhodes to look him into the eyes again. „If I learn anything about her, you’ll be the first to know. <em>I promise</em>.”</p><p class="p1">Paul Rhodes smiled at that, but it was a sad, broken smile. He didn’t believe him. He didn’t believe a single word he said.</p><p class="p1">„Sure,” he answered after a while. „Whatever you say, kid. Good luck out there.”</p><p class="p1">With that, he pushed Joaquin’s hand away and turned around, leaving to go back into the building.</p><p class="p1">And <em>fuck</em>, Joaquin was <em>not </em>going to go back on these words. He <em>was </em>going to come back to this man with as much information as possible, as soon as possible.</p><p class="p1">No matter what happened.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Who Are You?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Do not go gentle into that good night.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">„So you’re saying that the new watches are improved <em>how</em>?”</p><p class="p1">Anna and Theo were standing in front of a screen in the Tombs, a few tablets and a laptop scattered on a table behind them. Theo was working on a navigation system and Anna was going through some details she designed for the watches that have so far been delivered to Dragov and Joaquin. She and Theo had one each as well. Dragov was on a speaker, listening to her instructions and completing all necessary updates.</p><p class="p1">„The interface itself is simple as we don’t have to follow the government requirements,” Anna said, going through the options available in the system. „It’s also encrypted much better than ISAC. And I added haptic feedback; it could come in handy from time to time. But you <em>have </em>to wear the watch on your wrist for it to work.”</p><p class="p1">„And what exactly is this haptic… whatever?”</p><p class="p1">„Do you know Morse code?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes.”</p><p class="p1">„Okay. Put the watch on and let me run a test.”</p><p class="p1">As soon as Dragov confirmed that the watch was indeed located on his wrist Anna used the interface of hers to send him a message.</p><p class="p1">„Woah! Did you just <em>hello </em>me?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes I did. I’m glad to see that it worked.”</p><p class="p1">„How did you do that?”</p><p class="p1">„I put special sensors in the base; I didn’t want the vibrations to be too strong but I wanted to make sure you’ll be able to feel them agains your skin. It’s only for emergencies though. It’s not really comfortable enough to be used in everyday communication.”</p><p class="p1">„Understood. So I just have to tap the watch face and the feedback will translate to the other device?”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”</p><p class="p1">„Smart. You’re good at this, cupcake.”</p><p class="p1">Anna felt her eyelid twitch at the nickname but didn’t say a word.</p><p class="p1">„Just make sure that you keep the watch on your wrist. How are your legs by the way?”</p><p class="p1">„Awful. They had to put my bones together with screws and plates and God knows what else. I’m not going to be able to walk for a while.”</p><p class="p1">„I’m sorry to hear that. Please let me know if there is something I could do to help.”</p><p class="p1">„Don’t worry. I don’t need much as long as we have morphine.”</p><p class="p1">„Still. If you ultimately end up more fucked up than you assumed, I can always build you new legs,” Anna snorted a little.</p><p class="p1">„Let’s hope there’ll be no need for that, but I’ll keep that in mind.”</p><p class="p1">„With built-in turrets. Think about it.”</p><p class="p1">„Very funny. Have you talked to Schaeffer yet?”</p><p class="p1">Theo turned around at that and shot Anna a questioning look. She pretended not to see it.</p><p class="p1">„No. Not yet.”</p><p class="p1">„Get it over with already. Just remember what I told you about him.”</p><p class="p1">„I will. I have to go now.”</p><p class="p1">„Okay. Thanks for the upgrades. Let us know if you need anything.”</p><p class="p1">„Will do.”</p><p class="p1">With that, Anna ended the call and reached for one of her tablets, trying to get back to work right away, but Theo was faster than that. He approached her immediately, snatched the tablet away and sent her another questioning look, this time laced with worry.</p><p class="p1">„Are you <em>really </em>going to talk to Schaeffer?” He asked, trying to force her to look him int he eyes, something that she was actively trying to avoid. „You never said anything about that. Are you sure that it’s a good idea?”</p><p class="p1">She sighed. Of course she wasn’t.</p><p class="p1">„I’m not. But he wants to talk to me. I mean, not <em>me </em>actually, but the person behind some of the leaks that <em>accidentally </em>made their way out recently and involve the Division and SHD. He’s been sending multiple encrypted messages asking for contact. So I figured I should probably finally answer one. We’re going to talk today.”</p><p class="p1">„And why didn’t you tell me any of this?”</p><p class="p1">„I don’t want to get you involved. Just like you didn’t want me to be involved with Keener.”</p><p class="p1">Theo paused at that, obviously following a train of thought that Anna had no idea about.</p><p class="p1">„I have been thinking recently, you know,” he spoke after a while. „About what we’re going to do next. If, <em>when</em>, we deal with Keener. We haven’t really talked about it, but I think we should.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded. He was right.</p><p class="p1">„I think so too.”</p><p class="p1">„Good. So I want to tell you one thing. I <em>want </em>to be involved. I mean, obviously what we want to do is going to take a lot of work. I don’t want there to be any secrets between us if we’re going to work together. You asked about my work for Keener. I’m ready to share the details with you. I want you to trust me.”</p><p class="p1">„I trust you,” she said immediately, without even giving it much thought. It made her feel strange to suddenly realize that she actually meant it.</p><p class="p1">Theo smiled probably the nicest and most genuine smile she’s ever seen on his face and it made her heart skip a beat.</p><p class="p1">„I trust you too. So I’m giving you access to my research and the projects I’m working on right now. Especially regarding the network.”</p><p class="p1">„That could actually be really useful,” she said, remembering her last conversation with Dragov. „I have been thinking, and so has Dragov, if the network you’re putting together for Keener could actually be used for something else.”</p><p class="p1">„Meaning?”</p><p class="p1">„Meaning that Dragov has made a very good point when we went to see him recently. He said that people are going to need an alternative for the Division, for the JTF. And that we could build one for them. Based on your network, of course.”</p><p class="p1">Theo blinked fast, obviously surprised by Anna’s words.</p><p class="p1">„<em>Dragov </em>said that?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes.”</p><p class="p1">„Wow. I should have given him more credit.”</p><p class="p1">„My thoughts exactly.”</p><p class="p1">Theo smiled once again and Anna couldn’t help but smile back.</p><p class="p1">„Anyway,” he continued after a while. „I think it’s an awesome idea. There’s still some work to be done on the network but I could think of a few new features. It’s going to need more feedback from ISAC though.”</p><p class="p1">„Isn’t most of your network generally <em>based </em>on ISAC?”</p><p class="p1">„It is, yeah. We’re piggybacking off of ISAC for the signal, but the encryption doesn’t allow anyone to track it back to us. We could ultimately separate those networks from each other. If we manage to get another signal source, that is. But I’ll give you full access if you want to look into it. The only problem is Keener.”</p><p class="p1">Anna sighed. Even though she had an idea on how to <em>try </em>and deal with Keener, she couldn’t take anything for granted.</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. I know.”</p><p class="p1">„Do you really think that the Division will be able to take him out? I mean, he was able to deceive them for quite a while. And he <em>is </em>smart, you know.”</p><p class="p1">„I do. That’s why I’m trying to be so careful here. But I <em>really</em> think that we might be able to outsmart him. We just have to be very precise about every single thing that we do in that matter.”</p><p class="p1">Theo nodded, but Anna could see that he was worried. It was a huge gamble anyway, no matter how good their plan was.</p><p class="p1">„I’m worried that he actually might be working with the Black Tusk,” Theo said after a while. „That’s why I was surprised with Bardon contacting you. It could be a trap.”</p><p class="p1">„I know. That’s why I plan to talk to him from a secure location, not from here. The Black Tusk have incredible technological resources. The worst thing is I have no idea who’s working for them. But without talking to Bardon I won’t have any clue as to what is going on here.”</p><p class="p1">Theo reached for a tablet and started typing without a word.</p><p class="p1">„Okay, you have all necessary access privileges,” he said after a while, handing the tablet to Anna. „Just promise me that I won’t regret this. I don’t want Keener to go after you. You have to be <em>very </em>careful about what you’re doing with the network.”</p><p class="p1">„Don’t worry,” she smiled and took the tablet from his hand. „I’ll be careful. But going through this might give me some ideas for the work I want to do with Dragov. Thank you.”</p><p class="p1">„You’re welcome.”</p><p class="p1">She looked Theo in the eyes then, trying to reassure him with a smile, but seeing his expression made that impossible. Theo was worried. She’s never seen him so <em>obviously </em>worried before. He was looking at her with a frown, biting his lower lip as if he was trying to prevent himself from saying something. Noticing her questioning look he tried to fake a smile, but she noticed that immediately.</p><p class="p1">„Talk to me, Theo. What’s wrong?”</p><p class="p1">„I… nothing,” he said, obviously lying, but it wasn’t the right time to try and force him to tell her what he was trying to hide. „I just can’t shake the feeling that I’m the one exposing you to Keener somehow. If he finds you, I’m… I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. If you get hurt, I…”</p><p class="p1">She put the tablet away and approached him then, looking him straight in the eyes and placing her hands on his chest. It surprised her how easy it was for her to touch him now. Easy and <em>painful </em>at the same time.</p><p class="p1">„I’ll be fine,” she said after a while, trying to convince him and herself both. „But I have to do this. <em>We </em>have to do this if we want to make a difference. There’s no running away now.”</p><p class="p1">Theo opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out. It almost felt like time froze at that moment, but Anna was strangely fine with that. It occurred to her that Theo placed his hands on her hips at some point, but she didn’t even realize when it happened. She just suddenly noticed the warm and comfortable presence against her skin and it didn’t even occur to her to try and get away from it. In fact, it made her move even closer.</p><p class="p1">„There you are,” Paul Bosevi’s voice suddenly came from the other side of the room and brought them both back to reality, making them move away from each other almost as if this moment was not supposed to be shared with anyone else. „I have been looking for you, Anna. I have some information about the… what’s going on? Is everything okay?”</p><p class="p1">Approaching them Paul immediately noticed the awkwardness in the air, but Anna was fast to shake it off and reached for the tablet again.</p><p class="p1">„Yes. What’s up?”</p><p class="p1">Paul shot a questioning look towards Theo, who turned around quickly and exited the room without a word, taking his laptop with him. Bringing his eyes back to Anna Paul seemed anxious as well.</p><p class="p1">„Are you sure everything is okay?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes, Paul. He’s just worried. Especially now that we’re much closer to Keener. He doesn’t want me to get hurt.”</p><p class="p1">Paul sighed and sat down on the nearby table, relaxing visibly.</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. About Keener. I got some intel from the Rikers that they got direct orders from him to pick up Theo’s navigation system today for testing. They’ll be here in an hour. I think whatever Keener is up to is probably going to happen soon. We have to be extra careful.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded. He was right.</p><p class="p1">„Thank you. I’m going to leave later today to talk to Bardon Schaeffer somewhere safe so that he can’t pinpoint my location. I was actually planning to ask you to come with me just in case.”</p><p class="p1">„Sure thing. Just let me know when you want to leave.”</p><p class="p1">„Great. I still need to look into a few things, but I should be ready in two hours or so.”</p><p class="p1">Paul nodded at that and left the room, leaving Anna alone with the tablet she got from Theo and access to the network she was planning to go through. She couldn’t shake this weird feeling though; this uneasiness creeping up on her almost as if she forgot something, almost as if there was something she still needed to take care of. She has long learned not to give in to these feelings, these negative emotions that would in turn influence her efficiency with work, but it was true that this feeling of impending <em>something</em> was suddenly very present somewhere in the back of her head, making her hyperaware of everything else happening around her. She shook her head, sat down in an office chair nearby and opened the network. <em>This </em>was important. <em>This </em>was what she had to focus on right now. So she opened the network’s communication channels to see what has been coming in and what has been going out. She couldn’t really say what made her go for the comms in the first place; maybe it was a hunch, maybe it was fate’s cruel play on her feelings. Maybe it was a little bit of both. Scrolling through data packages and IP addresses she noticed something that made her stop and ultimately feel sick to her stomach.</p><p class="p1">The first connection made among the network happened on the exact same day she met with Theo for the first time. And it was a connection with a SHD server.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Theo was curled up on a sofa in the office room he usually used for sleeping, working on a laptop placed on a nearby coffee table. When Anna opened the door to the room with force that was enough to almost shatter the framed glass, he almost lost his breath from the surprise.</p><p class="p1">„Hey Anna, I don’t want to talk right now but…” he wanted to say more, but she cut him off immediately.</p><p class="p1">„I don’t care,” she said quickly, dropping the tablet onto his lap. „Explain.”</p><p class="p1">Theo looked at her first, noticing her flaring nostrils and the obvious anger present on her face. He’s never seen her like this before. He turned his head to look at the tablet and then back at her. She was obviously waiting for him to speak.</p><p class="p1">„What do you want me to explain?”</p><p class="p1">„I want you to tell me,” she said through gritted teeth, hands balled up into fists and shaking violently against her sides, „Why you told the Division about our meeting. I was wondering how Blaze knew where we were. <em>You told them</em>. You fucking <em>gave them an anonymous tip. </em>For fuck’s sake, Theo, why would you do something like that?!”</p><p class="p1">She was angry, sure, but still managed to notice the immediate change of his facial expression. It turned from worried to <em>terrified</em> in a matter of seconds.</p><p class="p1">„I… but how…”</p><p class="p1">„Oh, you fucking <em>know </em>how. Tell me why. <em>Now</em>.”</p><p class="p1">Theo picked the tablet up slowly, almost as if it was too hot to touch normally, and looked at the screen. The connection log was there. There was no use trying to deny it.</p><p class="p1">„I forgot to erase the log,” he said more to himself and less to Anna, but it made her even more furious.</p><p class="p1">„You forgot to… for fuck’s sake, Theo! Did Keener tell you to contact me? Were you playing me all along? Did you want Blaze to take me down as a rogue agent? Did you… did you actually <em>mean anything you said</em>?”</p><p class="p1">She was surprised to feel tears welling up in her eyes at the words. Fuck, why did she have to be so naive? Of course it had to be planned. It had to be staged. It was too good to be true. Theo was too good of a friend, too perfect of a fit. Too nice and too smart. A perfect plan to get to her.</p><p class="p1">„No, no, no,” Theo stood up immediately, reaching out for her and trying to place his hand on her shoulder, but she moved away and sent him a disgusted glare. „You got it all wrong. Of course I meant it. I meant <em>all </em>of it. But I… I just…”</p><p class="p1">„You just <em>what</em>?!” She was almost screaming by now, moving away far enough that her back actually hit the wall.</p><p class="p1">Theo was by her side immediately.</p><p class="p1">„I… it’s true, I did contact the Division. I gave them a tip about our meeting. But Keener has nothing to do with this, he never has. I swear. It was all me. But I was… I was sure you wouldn’t even want to talk to me, okay? So I figured if I tipped someone off and an agent followed us, it would bring us closer. Make you hate the Division more if they went after you as well. I had no idea what kind of a person you were, okay? I knew they wouldn’t have been able to take us down. I knew they would only send one agent to follow an anonymous tip. I wasn’t planning on getting you hurt. I swear. I could never do that.”</p><p class="p1">„In case you forgot,” Anna was once again speaking through gritted teeth, looking Theo straight in the eyes with a look that actually made him feel <em>scared</em>. „We <em>did </em>get hurt. We got fucking <em>shot</em>, Theo! We could have been killed! I don’t understand, why did you have to…”</p><p class="p1">„Because it fucking <em>didn’t matter anymore</em>, okay?!” He hit the wall with his fists then, trapping Anna’s head between them. The shout and the impact made her stop talking for a minute. „I had one shot at this. At getting to you. I had to do whatever was necessary to make you come with me. I couldn’t risk you getting back to the Division and <em>not </em>helping me. I had no way of knowing, okay? I was worried that you might kill me. That you might say no. That you might use me. I needed to make sure where your allegiance was. It was the easiest way to do that.”</p><p class="p1">„By risking my life? Our lives?”</p><p class="p1">Anna’s chest was still heaving with labored breaths, but she was obviously getting a little calmer. The sudden rush of adrenaline to Theo’s brain was not helping him calm down though.</p><p class="p1">„I knew Blaze wouldn’t kill you. I made sure they sent an agent who knew you. One that would tell SHD that you left with me.”</p><p class="p1">„And you never thought that maybe <em>telling me </em>about this would have been enough?”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah, because of all the times in my life I actually <em>tried </em>to talk to someone about what I believed in it <em>always </em>ended up with them trusting every single word I said. No. It wouldn’t have been enough. And you know that.”</p><p class="p1">Anna stopped at that, closing her eyes and allowing her head to hit the wall behind her with a soft thud. He was right. He might have been paranoid his entire life, but then again it hasn't really been easy on him. People didn’t trust him. People didn’t believe him even if he had proof. People didn’t take him seriously because of all the conspiracy theories he was into. Because of his <em>father</em>. But he was right about this one thing. She wouldn’t have believed him. She wouldn’t have trusted him. He did play her. But he played her for their own good.</p><p class="p1">„How can I know that you’re telling the truth?” She asked after a while, her voice much softer and quieter now.</p><p class="p1">„You said you trusted me,” Theo moved closer to her again, this time placing his hands on her cheeks and brushing the skin there with his thumbs. She didn’t turn away. „I said I trusted you. And I really meant that. If I knew you then the way I know you now, I would have never tipped them off. But I had to be sure. I’m hoping that you can understand where it came from. I cared about you then and I care about you now. But if you want to leave, I won’t be stopping you.”</p><p class="p1">Anna wanted to answer with something, but she felt her throat constrict again because of the tears that were still threatening to spill. <em>Leave? </em>Why would she want to <em>leave</em>? She reached up and placed her hands on top of Theo’s.</p><p class="p1">„What if he killed <em>you</em>, Theo?” She asked when she was sure she was no longer going to burst into tears.</p><p class="p1">„It was a risk I was willing to take,” he answered, moving even closer to her. „Although I’m glad it didn’t happen. You turned out to be so… worth it, I guess.”</p><p class="p1">Anna wanted to answer with a <em>so did you</em>, but she suddenly felt so overwhelmed with the conflicting emotions she was experiencing that she couldn’t say anything, couldn’t do anything. It almost felt like the ground was going to open up beneath her feet and swallow her whole, as if she was somewhere she was not supposed to be, as if she had to leave, run away and never come back.</p><p class="p1">She was <em>scared</em>.</p><p class="p1">So she let go of Theo’s hands, wriggled away from his touch and turned around, not really understanding what she was doing herself. All that she knew was that she needed to get out of there, get away from Theo. She needed time to think and set her priorities straight.</p><p class="p1">Theo said something when she was on her way out, but she didn’t hear him.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">„Alright. ETA to contact five minutes.”</p><p class="p1">Anna and Paul were standing on the third floor of an abandoned building in the Financial District. Anna just finished setting up a makeshift encryption station that would allow for a safe conversation with Bardon Schaeffer. She knew that the entire Black Tusk group was very advanced when it came to technology so she didn’t want to risk contacting him from a location that could be later linked to her in any way. Having Paul by her side actually made her feel safer too.</p><p class="p1">„Hey, I know it’s not my business, but what the hell happened in the Tombs? You seemed pretty angry when we left.”</p><p class="p1">Anna sighed and checked the encryption status again.</p><p class="p1">„I had a fight with Theo. I needed to clear my head.”</p><p class="p1">„You guys <em>fight</em>?”</p><p class="p1">She turned around and sent him an angry glare.</p><p class="p1">„What was that supposed to mean?”</p><p class="p1">„Nothing. It’s just that you seem to be two sides of the same coin. I could swear I heard you finishing each other’s sentences a few times.”</p><p class="p1">„Very funny. I don’t want to talk about it.”</p><p class="p1">„Fair enough. But if you change your mind, you can always talk to me. Some say I’m good with people.”</p><p class="p1">„The same people would probably say that I’m not,” Anna answered and put on headphones, implying that the conversation was over. Paul shrugged and sent her a smile. She didn’t want to come off as ungrateful or snarky. She was just… hurt? Tired? Sad? It was hard to tell. She definitely didn’t feel like <em>herself</em>. And there were still things she needed to do. She didn’t need any unnecessary distractions.</p><p class="p1">Suddenly, her communicator rang. She turned signal encryption on and picked up.</p><p class="p1">„Finally,” she heard a voice on the other side, accompanied by a ruffling sound. „You’re hard to get to, you know.”</p><p class="p1">„So I’ve been told,” Anna answered and smiled to herself a little. „So why did you want to talk, Bardon? I’m all ears. I don’t have much time though, so please be quick about it.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh, you misunderstand, sweetheart,” the statement suddenly made her feel a little uneasy. „It’s not Bardon. It’s Aaron Keener. You’ve probably heard about me a few times, no?”</p><p class="p1">Anna blinked twice. Then parted her lips in surprise. <em>Keener</em>? Why would he be…</p><p class="p1">… of course. He knew she would never take a contact request from him. From Bardon Schaeffer though? It was an entirely different story.</p><p class="p1">„What do you want?”</p><p class="p1">Paul put on a second set of headphones to listen to the conversation. He immediately realized that something was off.</p><p class="p1">„Not much. I just want you to stop digging and stop thinking that you can outsmart me. You can’t. I have eyes and ears everywhere.”</p><p class="p1"><em>Is that Keener?</em> Paul mouthed towards Anna and she confirmed his suspicions with a nod. <em>Try locating him</em>, she mouthed, and Paul was on it immediately.</p><p class="p1">„I have no idea what you’re talking about.”</p><p class="p1">„Quit the bullshit. I know you have been working with Parnell. And Dragov. I know you have been digging through ISAC databases and I know that you’re trying to undermine my operation. I’m asking you to stop. <em>Politely</em>. At least for now. If you don’t, it’s going to turn nasty really fast.”</p><p class="p1">Anna took a deep breath. She couldn’t lose her cool. She had to be smart about this.</p><p class="p1">„I don’t know about your <em>operation</em>,” she said after a while. „But the Division knows where you are. They’re going to get to you soon.”</p><p class="p1">„They might,” there was a smug undertone to Keener’s voice that she immediately hated. „But you’re forgetting one very important thing. I have everything ready for launch. It’s bigger than me and bigger than any of you. Bigger than any of them. I don’t really care if they kill me. But something tells me <em>you </em>care about little Theo. I would hurry if I were you. From what I heard, ten minutes ago your Division friends came knocking at his door. With guns.”</p><p class="p1">Anna couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her lips.</p><p class="p1">„You <em>fucker</em>,” she said into the communicator as soon as Paul gave her a thumbs up meaning that he was able to locate the signal source. „You lured me out here. You <em>knew </em>I would be out in the open.”</p><p class="p1">„I did,” came the voice from the other side. „And why do you think I allowed you to locate me? So that I could locate <em>you</em>. I would check your gear if I were you. There’s a pretty big group of <em>friends </em>coming your way. You almost made it too easy.”</p><p class="p1">Anna was trying to think fast. What <em>friends </em>was he talking about? Rikers? Cleaners? She peeked outside and noticed that no, it was neither of them. He was talking about <em>robots</em>. And drones. The machines were closing in fast and even though Paul was already getting into a position to shoot, she still felt cold sweat running down her spine. Especially thinking about what Keener said. <em>Your Division friends came knocking at his door</em>. She really was hoping that the man was lying.</p><p class="p1">„You’re not going to get away with this,” she said after a while, going through her own gear too.</p><p class="p1">„I might. Or I might not. It doesn’t really matter now. What matter is that I tie all the loose ends. You just happened to be one. I almost feel bad about it, you could have been a great asset if I got to you sooner. I don’t feel bad about Parnell though. He was getting on my nerves.”</p><p class="p1">Anna inhaled once again, trying to calm down by controlling her breathing. Theo was going to be <em>fine. </em>He was smart. He was strong. They still had time.</p><p class="p1">And they also had Keener’s location.</p><p class="p1">„We <em>will </em>get you, Keener.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh, yeah. One more thing. Do you know how I found you? It’s kind of stupid really, but I figured it might be good to know that before you die.”</p><p class="p1">„I don’t really care.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh, but you do. The kid named my network’s AI after you. You know, he called it ANNA. It would be cute if it wasn’t so stupid. It was so easy to connect the dots after that.”</p><p class="p1">Anna suddenly felt her heart sink. But she couldn’t have shown it to Keener. It took all the willpower she had to not let the emotions control her voice in that moment.</p><p class="p1">„You connected them yourself or your people had to do it for you? You know, the way they usually do your dirty work?”</p><p class="p1">„Very funny. I’m smarter than you think, sweetheart. Anyway, enjoy dying. Goodbye.”</p><p class="p1">With that, Keener ended the transmission and Anna immediately threw both the communicator and the headphones to the ground, fell to her knees and started crying.</p><p class="p1">She was not cut out for this. She was scared. Keener found her. She was reckless. Theo was going to die. He named the network after her. She left him. She had to go back.</p><p class="p1">She suddenly felt Paul’s hand on the back of her head.</p><p class="p1">„We have to get into position,” he said, helping her with the gear she was carrying. „The robots are downstairs already. The drones are locking onto us. Come on. I secured the door, but it’s not going to last.”</p><p class="p1">She looked up at him not really able to see his face, overwhelmed by everything that happened and by the tears still streaming down her face. She blinked. She will cry afterwards. Now, she had to fight for her life. And Paul’s.</p><p class="p1">And she still had a few tricks up her sleeve.</p><p class="p1">„Sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes and nose with the back of her hand. „I’m on it. Can you cover me for the next five minutes? I might find a way to hack these things and turn them against each other. And I have to call Paul Rhodes.”</p><p class="p1">„<em>Now</em>?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. Now. We have Keener’s location. I’m going to give it to them.”</p><p class="p1">„Are you mad?”</p><p class="p1">„Not for free of course. Get me five minutes. That’s all I need.”</p><p class="p1">With that, Anna reached for her communicator and her watch at the same time, finally planning to put years of practiced multitasking to use.</p><p class="p1">She was just hoping that it wasn’t too late.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Radiologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Can't go on, can't go back.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">Anna breathed in once, twice, hid behind a wall and took out a tablet. The signal was weak, but she might be able to try and hack into the system that was controlling the drones. There was nothing she could do about the robots though; it was never her area of expertise and she has not seen models like that before either. So she just stuck with what she knew and hoped that it would be enough to neutralize the rest. It was almost impossible to prevent her hands from shaking, but as soon as she felt the adrenaline rush she simply went with the flow and somehow managed to clear her mind enough to focus on the task at hand. They had to succeed. There was no other option.</p><p class="p1">She glanced at Paul Bosevi who was already aiming at one of the robots, his hand ready to go for an EMP grenade. The range of those grenades was not too wide but it should be enough to help them for a while. She decided to trust Paul and not interrupt him. She asked for five minutes and decided to assume that she was going to get it.</p><p class="p1">Her control program was running a scan and it was probably going to take a moment with such a weak signal, so she decided to use this opportunity to finally make that phone call she dreaded the most. She didn’t want to drag Paul Rhodes into all this, but there was one thing Keener was right about. It was bigger than any of them and if there was even a tiny chance to make a difference, they should take it.</p><p class="p1">Anna selected Paul’s number quickly, but decided to run a scrambler in the background just in case. She was hoping that Paul would realize that this unknown number was her.</p><p class="p1">He did. He picked up almost immediately.</p><p class="p1">„Paul,” she said, surprised with the tremble of her own voice. „I’m sorry to contact you like this, but this is a life and death situation. I need your help.”</p><p class="p1">There was a pause. Probably just a few seconds long, but enough for Anna to feel her heart sink again. And to almost lose her resolve when she heard a sniffle on the other side of the line.</p><p class="p1">„I’m glad you’re alive,” Paul’s voice was exactly the way she remembered, with just a tiny hint of a sore throat. „I’ll do what I can. But I’ll need an explanation later.”</p><p class="p1">„I promise I’ll tell you everything you need to know. For now, I need you to call off the assault on the Tombs. I have all the information on Keener that you might need. I’m willing to share it with you in exchange.”</p><p class="p1">Another pause. This time for Paul to think this through and decide what the best outcome would be.</p><p class="p1">„I’m afraid it’s too late, Anna,” he said after a while, making her bite on her lower lip so hard it drew blood and she could immediately taste the metallic tang on her tongue. „The agents went in half an hour ago.”</p><p class="p1">„Tell them to retreat. <em>Please</em>. I need Theo Parnell alive.”</p><p class="p1">Another pause. Very meaningful.</p><p class="p1">„I’ll see what I can do. I’m gonna need the information first though. It’s the only way I can reason with Kelso and Lau.”</p><p class="p1">Anna put her watch up and used the interface to transfer the location to Paul’s watch.</p><p class="p1">„He managed to locate me, but it worked both ways,” she said, looking at the tablet at the same time. Still no reliable signal. „I got him too. He’s on Liberty Island. I’m sending you all the coordinates.”</p><p class="p1">„So you were onto him as well?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. Just with different resources, I guess. Can you call the agents off?”</p><p class="p1">„I don’t know if I can, but I <em>will</em>. Give me a moment. And please get back to me soon.”</p><p class="p1">„I will. Thank you.”</p><p class="p1">„Stay safe.”</p><p class="p1">„You too.”</p><p class="p1">With that, Anna ended the call and came back to her tablet, trying to blink away the tears again. She owed this man so much. She had to explain everything to him.</p><p class="p1">But first she needed to survive.</p><p class="p1">„Thanks, Paul,” she shouted at Bosevi, reaching into her backpack to take out her own drone. „I’m all set now. How many robots are we talking about here?”</p><p class="p1">„Twenty. I managed to take out one. I would be <em>really </em>grateful if you could do something about the drones.”</p><p class="p1">„On it,” Anna launched her own drone and really hoped that it would amplify the signal enough to let her take over the rest.</p><p class="p1">She was doing everything she could not to think about Theo at that moment.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">Paul Rhodes put down the phone and still couldn’t believe what just happened. Anna was fine. Anna was alive. Even though she just asked for a most likely impossible favor, he still couldn’t have been happier. She didn’t turn rogue. She didn’t join Keener. Only when the thought passed through his head did he realize how ridiculous that sounded. He knew her, he trusted her. She would have never betrayed anyone like that. The institution may be one thing but the people were always another.</p><p class="p1">He blinked fast to chase away a stray tear that was threatening to spill and put the phone back into his pocket. Kelso and Lau were in the operations room. He needed to talk to them.</p><p class="p1">„Rhodes?” Kelso was definitely surprised to see him enter the room. „Why are you here? Weren’t you running scans on the network just now?”</p><p class="p1">„I was,” he answered, suddenly feeling lighter than he has been in a long while. „But everything’s different now. I want you to call off the agents. I have Keener’s location.”</p><p class="p1">„Are you <em>completely </em>out of your mind?” Lau asked after a while, approaching Rhodes and looking him straight in the eyes. „We can’t call them off like that. They almost got to Parnell.”</p><p class="p1">„May I remind you that we’re after Keener, not Parnell?”</p><p class="p1">„Parnell is a rogue agent. <em>And </em>Keener’s associate.”</p><p class="p1">„Right now he's also <em>leverage</em>. I don’t care. You’re leaving him alone. You’re getting your agents out of the Tombs. I have been putting up with your shit for too long.”</p><p class="p1">Faye Lau was obviously surprised with Paul’s tone.</p><p class="p1">„Now listen,” she said through gritted teeth, but Paul was unfazed. „We’re in the middle of a mission. We’re <em>so close</em>. And you want me to call them off because <em>what</em>? Because you have a <em>hunch</em>?”</p><p class="p1">„No. Because I have a reliable source of information that just located Keener on Liberty Island and provided me with this information in return for leaving Parnell alone.”</p><p class="p1">„And this <em>reliable source </em>would be <em>what</em>?”</p><p class="p1">„Anna Clarke.”</p><p class="p1">Silence fell in the room, disturbed only by a slight hum of Lau’s computer in the background.</p><p class="p1">„Let me get this straight,” this time it was Kelso speaking. „You want us to call off the agents because you got tipped off by a person who <em>betrayed </em>us, who is probably rogue as well and might be helping Keener too?”</p><p class="p1">Paul almost felt his blood boil at those words, but chose not to show it.</p><p class="p1">„Okay, Kelso,” he spoke quietly, but his words held much more meaning just because of that. „I don’t know how well you know your agents. Frankly speaking, I don’t care. But I know Anna and I have known her for <em>years</em>. She wouldn’t have left if she didn’t have a good reason for that. I trust her. And if you want to be here, so should you.”</p><p class="p1">Both Kelso and Lau were looking at Rhodes with disbelief in their eyes, but Rhodes was unwavered in his resolve. He has been a coward for too long. It was finally time to step up and do the right thing. He already cut ties with the Division once and <em>hell</em>, they made absolutely no effort to make him trust them again.</p><p class="p1">Anna however was a completely different story.</p><p class="p1">„I’m not calling off the agents,” Faye Lau said after a while, Kelso nodding beside her.</p><p class="p1">„Then get out of here,” Rhodes said through gritted teeth. „I never want to see you here again.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">„Where is Parnell?”</p><p class="p1">Blaze was standing over Judge with his rifle pressed against his forehead, aiming directly between the man’s eyes. The Riker was laying on the floor, beaten up and shot in the leg, bleeding profusely.</p><p class="p1">„Fuck you,” it was definitely hard for him to speak, but the snarkiness was still there. „You’re not getting him. He’s probably far away by now.”</p><p class="p1">„Don’t let him fool you,” Blaze heard Kelso on the line as well. „Parnell is there. Rhodes has a good grip on his location. Get going, agent.”</p><p class="p1">Blaze nodded, put the rifle away and together with Marta and Joaquin made his way forward, still careful about any other Rikers they might encounter in the Tombs. Judge was a pretty hard opponent, but luckily Joaquin had the Reviver Hive ready.</p><p class="p1">The Tombs were almost like a maze, unending corridors and facilities opening up one after another, each and every single one of them exactly the same. It made Joaquin a little dizzy and suddenly made him realize where the name came from. He still felt very uneasy going through the complex though. He was unable to contact Anna before they left Haven and he had no idea what would be waiting for them there. It has just been the Rikers so far and a few traps set up by Theo Parnell. The man himself was nowhere to be found.</p><p class="p1">„Agents,” Paul Rhodes’ voice was suddenly on the line. „There’s something we have to talk about. Stay right where you are.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin was surprised, but looking at his colleagues so were they. Blaze adjusted his scarf and moved closer to Joaquin, sending him a questioning look. Joaquin shrugged and looked at Marta. Judging by her face she was just as perplexed as they were.</p><p class="p1">„Sir?” Joaquin spoke first, making sure that he heard the man right.</p><p class="p1">„I have intel on Keener,” he said quickly. „Got it from Anna. She told us where the fucker is. I want you to leave the Tombs right now. Stop going after Parnell. I repeat, stop going after Parnell.”</p><p class="p1">The agents looked at each other, unable to comprehend what just happened. Why the sudden change of attitude? And the sudden change of orders? What the hell was going on?</p><p class="p1">„Sir, if I might…” Joaquin started to speak, but got interrupted by a very angry Faye Lau.</p><p class="p1">„Fuck off, Rhodes. You’re not giving orders to <em>my </em>agents. Serrano, Meyer, Thorne, you’re on. Don’t listen to Rhodes. He’s not the one in charge.”</p><p class="p1">„But <em>why </em>doesn’t he want us to proceed?” This time it was Blaze speaking.</p><p class="p1">„Because I got intel about Keener in return for Parnell’s safety,” Rhodes jumped in immediately. „Anna trusted us with this information and asked us to retreat. It’s up to you to decide what to do, agents, but I’m asking you to think for yourselves and do the right thing. Not what Faye Lau is telling you to do. She’s not exactly a model leader anyway.”</p><p class="p1">There was sudden silence on the line, disturbed only by some white noise here and there. Serrano couldn’t believe what just happened. Anna must have found the intel on Keener somehow but must have also gotten compromised. If the situation was serious enough for her to involve Paul Rhodes, then he actually believed that following through with Paul’s words would be the best choice.</p><p class="p1">Damn. The man believed in her so much that even though she left him in the dark for so long, he would still help her for the sake of the greater good.</p><p class="p1">He wasn’t so sure that Kelso or Lau would do the same.</p><p class="p1">„Agents,” this time there was much more anger present in Faye Lau’s voice. „If you disobey my orders and withdraw from the Tombs, you will be marked as rogue as well.”</p><p class="p1">„You fucking bitch,” this time it was Rhodes speaking again. „They did nothing wrong! Don’t use them for your stupid games!”</p><p class="p1">„It’s the way things work in the Division, Rhodes. You must have forgotten what it’s actually like to <em>serve the country</em>.”</p><p class="p1">„<em>Fuck </em>the country. Agents, if you…”</p><p class="p1">Paul Rhodes was probably going to say something more, but the call got cut off probably due to Faye Lau’s decision. Joaquin, Blaze and Marta stood in the middle of an open space surrounded by crates and boxes, unable to say a word. What the fuck has just happened? What the fuck were they going to do?</p><p class="p1">Well, Joaquin knew what his decision would be. He wasn’t so sure about the other two though.</p><p class="p1">„I think we should…” Blaze started talking, but got interrupted by a shot right next to his head. All three of them ducked behind the nearest crate and well, it looked like fate has made the decision for them.</p><p class="p1">The Rikers were approaching fast and Theo Parnell was standing in one of the windows, aiming at the three of them with his SOCOM Mk20 SSR. His first shot missed Blaze’s head by two inches and judging by his smirk, he probably did it on purpose.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">„We don’t have much time! We have to hurry!”</p><p class="p1">While Paul was busy with the robots and also trying to secure the entrance to the building Anna was trying to hijack the drones. She had to do it in waves as they had multiple signal sources and unfortunately she did get hit with a few shells in the meantime. It wasn’t anything too serious though; just a few scratches and a bleeding brow were not that bad considering her situations.</p><p class="p1">Paul was in a much worse state though. He was tired, no, <em>exhausted</em>, but luckily still on his feet and still with good aim. He was able to take out seven robots. By then Anna was finally ready for complete hijack.</p><p class="p1">„Alright, taking over <em>now</em>,” she said in a while and waited.</p><p class="p1">For a second she was sure that it didn’t work and that they would be doomed; her life almost flashed before her eyes and she almost laughed at the irony of being killed by a <em>drone</em>. But then the tables have turned and <em>finally </em>she managed to turn the drones against the robots. Noticing the sudden dynamic switch Paul made sure that he was secure behind a wall and finally sat down, letting his guard down for a second.</p><p class="p1">„Fucking hell,” he said after a while, using his forearm to wipe sweat and dust from his face. „Just in time, Anna. A minute longer and I probably would have fainted.”</p><p class="p1">„Sorry,” Anna answered, gathering her things and putting them into her backpack. Looking around she noticed drones flying around the perimeter, using explosives to neutralize the robots. „Apparently I don’t work well under pressure. Water?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes please.”</p><p class="p1">She took a bottle of water out of her backpack and handed it over to Paul, who in turn drank greedily and used one third of the bottle to cool down his head. Anna smiled at that and noticed how much it hurt to move her face with the cut in her brow. Paul also noticed the cut and wanted to comment on it, but she shrugged him off.</p><p class="p1">„We have to go,” she said after a moment, making sure that they gathered everything they needed. „I have to help Theo. Rhodes promised that he was going to call off the agents but I have no idea how far inside they went. I have no connection with Theo’s network so I can’t check his status. That bastard shut me out.”</p><p class="p1">„Because of the fight?”</p><p class="p1">„No. Worse. Because he’s fucking <em>worried</em>.”</p><p class="p1">Paul wanted to smile at that, but noticing the absolute dread on Anna’s face he ultimately decided against it. He had no idea what happened between the two but there was one thing he knew for sure - they were good friends and they trusted each other. No fight would have been able to change that.</p><p class="p1">„Okay. I’m fine. Let’s go.”</p><p class="p1">As soon as he stood up and they managed to confirm that the path has been cleared, they quickly made their way downstairs and towards Paul’s truck parked a few blocks away.</p><p class="p1">During the entire run Anna was trying to use her watch to contact Theo in any possible way, almost forgetting to breathe in the process.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">„Blaze, get the fuck back here!”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin was hiding behind a huge crate in the back of the delivery zone, the place where Theo decided to lead them into an ambush. He knew that he himself would be safe there but it made him worried about the rest of the team; especially since he had no idea if they made up their minds yet. <em>Hell</em>, he had no idea if they even had any notion as to what the options actually <em>were</em>. But he knew more than enough. And he was willing to use this knowledge to reason with them.</p><p class="p1">„No way, Serrano,” Blaze was already in the front, approaching a big group of Rikers armed with crossbows and baseball bats. „I’m going to finish this. Somebody has to.”</p><p class="p1">„No, Blaze,” Joaquin suddenly felt panic rising somewhere in the pit of his stomach. „You’re going to die. We have to leave. First of all, we’re outnumbered. Second of all, this isn’t right.”</p><p class="p1">„The fuck it isn’t!” Blaze was obviously angry too. „This guy is a rogue agent, Joaquin! And if we don’t kill him, he’s going to kill us. There’s no getting out of here alive.”</p><p class="p1">„Of course there is! They will let us go. You have to trust me on this.”</p><p class="p1">„No way. I trusted Anna at some point too.”</p><p class="p1">With those words, Blaze gestured at Marta and the woman threw a set of grenades towards the group, surrounding them with a ring of fire. That gave Blaze enough time to take them down one after another, using the overall commotion to get closer to the spot Parnell was shooting from. The fucker used <em>holograms</em> of himself to confuse them and Blaze had to admit that it actually worked. For a while at least. As soon as he managed to confirm where the shots were coming from it was easy to pinpoint the real Parnell.</p><p class="p1">Joaquin had to think fast. Theo knew he was there, the new watches were designed to keep track of their positions and nearby allies. But if Blaze was going to attack him, Theo was definitely going to fight back. And judging by Blaze’s current actions, he was indeed planning an assault.</p><p class="p1">There was no time to reason with him. Besides, knowing Blaze it wouldn’t work either. He has already made up his mind. But maybe Marta hasn’t.</p><p class="p1">„Thorne,” he contacted her through ISAC as she was currently on the other side of the battlefield. „We don’t have to do this. We can still retreat.”</p><p class="p1">„Too late, Serrano,” he heard her say on the other side. „We have our orders. I was under the impression that so did you.”</p><p class="p1">„You’re right,” he said, his chest heaving with heavy breaths. „But I also have a mind of my own. I’m not going to follow orders that don’t make sense. We don’t need anything from Parnell. We already have what we came for.”</p><p class="p1">„He’s a rogue agent. The protocol is simple.”</p><p class="p1">„For fuck’s sake, Marta, listen to yourself! The protocol makes you kill or apprehend people who have been wronged by the Division. Not only have they been marked rogue, now SHD is hunting them because <em>allegedly</em> they’re criminals. But are they really? How much proof of that have you seen? And based on the <em>killing people and protecting others </em>thing, aren’t we criminals as well?”</p><p class="p1">„Shut up, Serrano. What you’re talking about is treason. Of all the agents I know, I would have never guessed you would be the one to turn against the Division.”</p><p class="p1">„I’m not turning against the Division. I’m turning against the system. And against the government that can mark anyone as rogue just because they feel like it, God damn it!”</p><p class="p1">Hearing no reply from Marta Joaquin noticed that she cut off the connection and that they were no longer on the line. Great. So much for trying to reason with her. But there were still ways to go about this that could prevent more casualties. Unfortunately going down that road meant that it was time for him to pick a side once and for all.</p><p class="p1">And it was not going to be the Division.</p><p class="p1">„Meyer,” he tried contacting Blaze and succeeded, realizing that luckily his channel was still open. „I hate to do this, but you’re giving me no choice. If you want to get Parnell, you’re going to have to go through me.”</p><p class="p1">„I really hope you know what you’re doing, Serrano,” came a quick reply from Blaze. „Because I’m not going to go easy on you if you get in my way.”</p><p class="p1">„Neither will I.”</p><p class="p1">With that, he finally cut the connection completely and switched his watch to the rogue network.</p><p class="p1">„Parnell,” he said, trying to contact the man. „What the fuck are you doing?”</p><p class="p1">„Serrano? Why are you contacting me? Weren’t you trying to play both sides or something?”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah, well, not anymore. But I still don’t want people to die. Can you and the Rikers retreat?”</p><p class="p1">„No, not at this point. There’s nowhere to run from here. We’re trapped, but so are they.”</p><p class="p1">Serrano was quiet for a while, looking around and trying to determine a strategy that would work best and not include too many casualties. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could come up with. So he did the only thing that seemed appropriate at the time.</p><p class="p1">He decided to call Anna.</p><p class="p1">„Clarke,” he said as soon as the connection went through. „Where are you? We could use some help here.”</p><p class="p1">„I’m on my way!” Was it panic he was hearing in Anna’s voice? „Me and Paul. We’re driving. We should be there in fifteen minutes.”</p><p class="p1">„We may not have fifteen minutes,” Joaquin replied to that. „But I’ll try my best to hold them off.”</p><p class="p1">„I’m counting on you.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin made up his mind then. He was going to climb the nearest ladder and make sure that Blaze and Marta don’t get closer to Parnell. He could easily keep them off the man if his aim was as good as it used to be. It wasn’t going to hurt them and it was going to keep everyone safe.</p><p class="p1">But apparently Parnell had a different idea.</p><p class="p1">Theo suddenly jumped down from the safe spot he was hiding at and at first Serrano thought that he was out of his mind, but then he realized what really happened. He didn’t jump. He <em>fell</em>. As soon as his body hit the ground around fifty feet from where he was hidden, he knew he needed a change of plans. So he stood up and started running, hoping that he would be covered by the few remaining Rikers in the meantime.</p><p class="p1">He managed to get to Parnell before Blaze or Marta did. He was expecting the worst, but luckily the man was still alive. One bullet went into his upper thigh and one cut his left ear in half. There was a lot of blood. If he was to survive, he needed immediate medical assistance.</p><p class="p1">„Fucking hell,” Parnell whispered through gritted teeth, pain obvious on his face. „I lost my fucking gun!”</p><p class="p1">„Get away from him,” it was weird to suddenly hear Blaze’s voice come from right next to him, not through ISAC. „We’re taking him with us.”</p><p class="p1">„Over my dead body,” Serrano said, took out his pistol and shot Blaze in the arm.</p><p class="p1">Meyer grunted and fell to his knees, a string of <em>fucks</em> escaping his lips. But Marta was not too far behind him. She jumped Serrano and before the man realized what was going on, they were both tumbling away from Parnell. He wasn’t going to have that. He wrestled himself from under Marta’s body weight and pushed her away, earning himself enough time to run back towards Parnell and Blaze. What he saw made his stomach turn. Parnell was wrestling with Blaze, who in turn was apparently trying to immobilize the man. He tried to jump between them, but Marta was faster; she caught his wrist, made him turn around and hit him in the face with her shield. Suddenly Joaquin felt his head spin and the pain almost split his head open, but he still had to act fast. So he tore the shield away from Marta’s hands and hit her with it as well. The woman tumbled backwards and fell, both the force of the blow and the impact making her gasp in surprise.</p><p class="p1">Joaquin noticed a Riker hiding behind one of the crates. He motioned towards the guy and threw a rope his way.</p><p class="p1">„Tie her up,” Serrano said, turning around to run towards Theo again. „Anna will be here soon. Watch her.”</p><p class="p1">„S-sure thing,” the Riker caught Marta’s arms and lifted them up, wrapping the rope around them and taking her away. There was at least that. Unfortunately, there were no more Rikers around to help him in any way.</p><p class="p1">Joaquin still had the shield and he already had an idea on how to use it. When Blaze saw him running towards them, he hit Parnell in the face hard enough to make him spit out blood. A quick assessment was enough for Joaquin to notice that neither of them had their weapons.</p><p class="p1">„Blaze!” He shouted, finally next to him, putting his arm around the man’s neck and squeezing <em>hard. </em>„What did I tell you? We should have gotten <em>the fuck away </em>from here!”</p><p class="p1">Of course Blaze couldn’t answer with an arm against his windpipe, but the struggle made him let go of Parnell, who gasped and fell to the ground. Joaquin was hoping that the man would come back to his senses, that he would <em>finally </em>allow him to explain. This didn’t need to go any further. He could still save Parnell and they could still let Blaze go. And Marta too. He didn’t want them go get hurt and he wasn’t proud of the fact that he had to apprehend them. But apparently Blaze had other plans as he took out a knife he was hiding in one of his shoes.</p><p class="p1">The sudden jab of pain Joaquin felt in his calf made him let go involuntarily, cursing under his breath. He reached for his pistol again, aiming at Blaze’s other arm, but it was too late. He couldn’t have been fast enough.</p><p class="p1">When Blaze pushed the knife into Theo’s abdomen, Joaquin screamed. Or maybe it was Theo? His mouth was open, it might have been him. It was hard to tell though with the adrenaline rushing to Joaquin’s head and drowning out every single noise around him.</p><p class="p1">He didn’t even reach for the shield. He hit Blaze in the back of the head with the butt of his gun, <em>hard</em>. The man fell forward, unconscious, the knife still stuck in Theo’s body, the grimace of indescribable pain together with the blood smeared across his face making Serrano sick to his stomach again. As if the gunshot wounds weren’t enough, he still had to go for the <em>fucking knife</em>. Of course he would. He knew exactly how to aim for maximum damage. Even though Joaquin was no longer following the orders, he still remembered them well enough. Capture the target. If you can’t capture the target, eradicate.</p><p class="p1">He suddenly felt cold sweat running down his spine.</p><p class="p1">This was bad. Really bad.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Silence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Let me watch you as close as a memory, let me hold you above all the misery.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">Joaquin knew he had to act fast. Blaze was knocked out because of the blow, but he will probably come to in a moment. First he made sure that the man was secure and that he would be fine when he woke up and restrained enough so that he wouldn’t try to attack him again. With that he wanted to turn his attention to Theo but remembered that his own wound needed to be taken care of first. If he was to help the other man, that is. Luckily, the stab wound wasn’t that bad and a simple dressing should be enough for now. Theo however was an entirely different story. Honestly, he had no idea which injury he should take care of first and if it was going to make any difference at all.</p><p class="p1">The stab wound to his abdomen wasn’t bleeding much as the knife was still there, but the leg and the ear were both in a pretty bad shape. Honestly, there was not much he could have done about the ear if he didn’t have proper equipment. So he approached Theo and decided to take a good look at the leg instead.</p><p class="p1">„Wh… what,” Theo was trying to speak, but he was shaking badly and it was hard for him to form actual words. „Where…”</p><p class="p1">„That’s it, keep talking,” Joaquin said both to himself and Theo. „You need to stay with me, kid. And I’m sorry, but it’s probably going to hurt. Don’t move.”</p><p class="p1">Theo moved his head a little and noticed the knife sticking out of his abdomen. He gasped in surprise, but the gasp was followed by a pained grunt when he tried to move.</p><p class="p1">„The fuck… is this…”</p><p class="p1">„I said don’t move!” Joaquin shouted, placing his hands on Theo’s hips and pressing down. „You’re going to make it worse. Stay still. The knife went in pretty deep.”</p><p class="p1">Theo nodded and tried to relax, but he was obviously failing. He started taking deep breaths, balling his hands into fists and uncurling them again. Good idea, Joaquin thought. If he focuses on the motion, he will have something to keep his mind off the pain. At least for now. It was time to go through his trauma kit and see what he could do.</p><p class="p1">As if on cue, Joaquin suddenly heard footsteps. At first he thought it might be the Rikers coming back to make sure that they swept everything clean. But these were no Riker footsteps. It was more like a panicked run through the rubble, uneven, too fast for the runner to keep the momentum. And it was just two people. Taking a quick look confirmed that it was a woman accompanied by a much taller man. It was probably Anna. He sighed. She wasn’t going to be happy about this.</p><p class="p1">Turning back to his trauma kit he took another look at Theo. He was biting his lower lip, obviously trying to fight the pain. Tears were running down his face, leaving visible trails among the blood and dust.</p><p class="p1">„Hang on, kid,” Joaquin said, moving Theo’s leg a bit to be able to assess the wound. „Anna will be here in a second.”</p><p class="p1">He was hoping that hearing this would help, but it made the man cry more instead. He was also trying to say something but failing miserably, his face contorting in pain instead. He couldn’t find an exit wound on Theo’s leg and judging by the amount of blood the artery was probably damaged. He needed to apply a tourniquet and he had to do it fast.</p><p class="p1">Before he managed to take the bandage and scissors out of his trauma kit though Anna was with them, falling to her knees right next to Theo’s head and immediately placing her hand on his cheek.</p><p class="p1">„Theo,” she whispered, her voice laced with worry and tears hiding just beneath the surface. „I’m here. I’m so sorry. I should have never left.”</p><p class="p1">„Fine… just… I’m fine,” he answered trying to smile, the smug bastard that he was, but it obviously didn’t make Anna feel relieved at all.</p><p class="p1">„Hey Anna,” Joaquin said, bandages and scissors in his hand already. „Nice to finally meet you in person. I mean, it would have been nicer if the circumstances were different. You have to help me with this.”</p><p class="p1">„Tell me what to do,” she said, looking at him with a determined look on her face. „Paul can help too. We have to save him, Joaquin.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin raised a brow. She must have realized how serious the situation was. He can stop the bleeding for a while, sure, but they needed to transport him somewhere safe to take care of the injuries properly. Without that there was no way to tell if Theo was going to survive.</p><p class="p1">„Make him more comfortable,” he said, looking at Anna and nodding towards Paul. „I will have to apply a tourniquet. It’s going to hurt and he needs to stay in place. Mostly because of the knife.”</p><p class="p1">It was only then Anna noticed the knife sticking out of Theo’s abdomen. She gasped, but calmed herself down soon after, obviously not wanting to add to Theo’s distress. She moved a little and placed his head in her lap, reaching for his hands to grab them as hard as she could.</p><p class="p1">Theo’s grip on her forearms was very weak, but Joaquin decided not to worry about that at the moment.</p><p class="p1">„Okay. I’m ready.”</p><p class="p1">„Great. Now make sure you’re not looking.”</p><p class="p1">„What?”</p><p class="p1">„Don’t look. It’s not going to be pleasant.”</p><p class="p1">Paul was next to Theo’s side, holding his hips to make sure that he won’t squirm when Joaquin would apply the tourniquet. Joaquin took a deep sigh and folded the bandage, placing the scissors in the middle. He turned once, twice, nothing happened. The next turn was also fine. But the fourth one made Theo scream so loud it almost ruptured his eardrums.</p><p class="p1">He knew that correctly applied tourniquets were supposed to hurt. Damn, he knew it well. But every single time he had to use one on someone unfamiliar with the experience it made him feel more guilty than right. He decided to not worry about it now though. Theo needed help and he just had to tune it out. Like he always did.</p><p class="p1">„<em>Fuck!</em>” Another loud scream tore itself from Theo’s throat, but Anna’s grip on his hands was tight. Joaquin was just worried that Theo might hurt her because of the pain. He’s already seen broken fingers in those who wanted to support people in pain. And he still had to tighten the tourniquet at least three more times.</p><p class="p1">Anna looked him in the eyes then and judging by her expression immediately realized what she had to do. She used one hand to turn Theo’s head in a way that would make it possible for her to look him in the eyes. At this point they were both crying.</p><p class="p1">„Theo,” she said, her voice shaking badly, hands covered in blood. „I’m here. It’s going to be fine. Please stay with me. <em>Please</em>.”</p><p class="p1">Theo nodded, unable to speak anymore. Joaquin used this moment of distraction to tighten the tourniquet again. This time, Theo just hissed and closed his eyes. Fuck it. It was going to hurt anyway. And if he had to cause the kid a little more pain to save his life, then so be it.</p><p class="p1">„We’re going to have to move him to a secure location,” Joaquin said after a while, using the back of his hand to wipe away the sweat gathering on his forehead. „This fight is far from over. If we stay here, he’s going to die.”</p><p class="p1">Anna looked at him again and the look on her face almost physically hurt him too. It’s been a while since he’s seen so many emotions on someone’s face and he wasn’t ready for that in the field.</p><p class="p1">„I’m going to call Dragov,” Paul’s voice suddenly brought him back to reality. „He might have a way to help us. Give me a moment.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin nodded and moved a little to take a look at Theo’s ear. With the tourniquet in place the leg was safe for now. The ear however was going to be an entirely different story.It wasn’t bleeding much by now, but there was still a bloody stain on Anna’s clothes where Theo’s head was resting. She was talking to the man and caressing his forehead with her fingers, which seemed to calm him down a bit. The ear was torn in half and there was a mark from where the bullet grazed his skull. Nothing too bad, but it could have still caused a concussion. And then there was the knife. Damn, this kid needed a hospital. Shame there were no operational ones to be found. Hopefully they would be able to take him somewhere at least half as equipped.</p><p class="p1">It was still going to be a hell of a ride.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">Anna was trying really hard not to break down completely. She felt like all her feelings, all the despair and anger were in turmoil behind a very brittle imaginary wall that threatened to crumble down at any moment. She couldn’t have let that happen though. She will have time to cry and panic later. Now she had to help Joaquin as much as she could to make sure Theo survived this. Theo <em>had</em> to survive this. There was no other way.</p><p class="p1">She knew how serious the situation was. She knew that Theo’s injuries were possibly life-threatening. But she couldn’t imagine a world without him anymore. If she was to lose him, it would be the final straw. It would break her more than she wanted to admit. She had to do everything in her power to help him. And even though she wouldn’t really have been able to do much herself, luckily Paul and Joaquin were the right people for the job.</p><p class="p1">„I just talked to Dragov,” Paul turned to Joaquin, breathing hard. He was still exhausted from their fight before and Anna honestly couldn’t believe how much strength this man had in him. „He can’t help us in the base. It’s too far. But he promised that if we take him to the City Hall, it will be enough. The Rikers just recaptured it and they have a lot of resources. Now we have to figure out how we’re going to move him.”</p><p class="p1">Anna noticed that Joaquin was doing something close to Theo’s stab wound, probably securing the knife well enough so that he will be able to remove it when they get to the control point. She looked back at Theo. His eyes were half-lidded and he was turning paler by the second. He was also shaking.</p><p class="p1">„Why is it so… cold,” he said so quietly only Anna managed to hear that. She felt her heart sink again.</p><p class="p1">„He’s in shock,” she said, looking at Joaquin. The man cursed under his breath, but he was apparently done with securing the knife.</p><p class="p1">„We have to make sure he doesn’t lose any more blood. How fast can we get to the City Hall?”</p><p class="p1">„Fast enough. I have a truck. I’ll bring it over to the other side of this gate. Make sure you figure out how to open it in the meantime. Oh, and I asked Dragov to send some reinforcements to take care of the two agents you have here.”</p><p class="p1">„Great. Thank you. I almost forgot about them.”</p><p class="p1">„I figured. But nothing is going to happen to them. He gave me his word.”</p><p class="p1">„Great. See you soon then.”</p><p class="p1">With that, Paul left quickly to bring the truck over to the other side. Joaquin stood up and made his way towards the gate. Luckily it was enough to shoot the wires to make it open. He heard Paul’s truck approach from the other side and came back to Anna and Theo.</p><p class="p1">„I have to pick him up,” he said, placing his hand on Anna’s arm. „Paul is here.”</p><p class="p1">„Okay. Okay.”</p><p class="p1">It was so hard for Anna to get up; not only because her legs were feeling numb, but also because she felt that if she lost physical contact with Theo she was never getting it back again. It was an awful feeling of worry that she didn’t want to let control her, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. It was almost as if her body was acting on its own.</p><p class="p1">„You can hold his hand if you want, but we have to go. Get up.”</p><p class="p1">She shook her head and finally forced herself to separate from Theo. It felt like the hardest thing she ever had to do, both physically and mentally. But she listened to Joaquin and took a hold of Theo’s hand. She was relieved to feel that he squeezed her hand too.</p><p class="p1">She didn’t really remember the drive to the City Hall. It was a blur of images consisting of Joaquin carrying Theo to the truck, riding with him on the back seat so that the man could be laying flat, Paul cursing under his breath because of some rubble on the way. Anna was sitting in the front with Paul and didn’t take her eyes off of Theo for a second. He wasn’t doing any better, but he wasn’t also getting worse. And he was breathing. He was gasping for air every now and then and every single time it happened Anna felt her heart stop for a second, but seeing Joaquin unfazed made her calm down too. He was the professional here. If she followed his lead, everything was going to be okay.</p><p class="p1">They were already waiting for them with a stretcher when they arrived. Joaquin placed a shaking Theo on top of it and Anna was right behind them, still holding his hand. When they took him inside she followed, hoping that her presence would make him feel at least a little bit calmer. As soon as they stooped in front of what seemed to be a makeshift hospital Joaquin addressed her again.</p><p class="p1">„I assume you know what I want to say,” he looked at her almost as if he understood every single emotion hiding behind her expression. She nodded. She knew <em>exactly </em>what he meant by that.</p><p class="p1">„Can I get a minute?”</p><p class="p1">„Thirty seconds. I really need to get to work.”</p><p class="p1">„Okay.”</p><p class="p1">Anna approached the stretcher from the other side then and looked Theo in the eyes. His face was still covered in blood, his eyes open and glassy. It was obvious that the pain he was feeling was <em>excruciating</em>. She tried to put the nicest and warmest smile on her face, but failed miserably. She started crying instead. But at this point she didn’t really care.</p><p class="p1">„Don’t… cry,” Theo tried to smile as well. And talk, which sounded so strained it actually had to be <em>painful</em>.</p><p class="p1">„Sorry,” she said, placing a hand on his cheek again and caressing softly. „I just want you to know that… I’m here. No matter what happens. You don’t have to talk. I just want you to know one thing.”</p><p class="p1">„I…”</p><p class="p1">„Shut up. I have to say this. You turned out to be worth it as well. <em>All of it</em>, Theo. So worth it I could have never expected it. And I’m not scared to admit it anymore.”</p><p class="p1">He looked at her, trying to keep his eyes open. Without much thought she ducked down and placed a warm kiss on his forehead. He closed his eyes and sighed, his breath shaky and shallow. When she let go, Joaquin and two Rikers immediately took him inside. Anna felt tears run down her face again and it seemed like she completely lost control over them.</p><p class="p1">All she could do now was wait.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">„I never really thanked you, you know. For what you did.”</p><p class="p1">Anna and Paul were sitting on the stairs leading to the City Hall, drinking canned soda they got from one of the Rikers. Anna couldn’t remember ever enjoying soda that much. The sweetness and the bubbles seemed to be the most incredible treat she’s had in a while. Well, except for the pralines from Dragov, but that was another level that could probably never be overturned.</p><p class="p1">„Come on. Don’t mention it. It was the least I could do.”</p><p class="p1">„No, Paul. I would be dead now if it wasn’t for you. And so would Theo, probably.”</p><p class="p1">At first Paul thought that Anna was joking, but seeing the look on her face made him realize how serious she was.</p><p class="p1">„Don’t mention it. I’m glad I could’ve helped.”</p><p class="p1">„I’m forever in your debt, Paul. Remember that.”</p><p class="p1">„Okay. I will. What are we going to do now?”</p><p class="p1">Anna sighed and took another sip of soda.</p><p class="p1">„Now you have to rest. Seriously, you need it. And I’m going to talk to Paul Rhodes. He helped me too and he deserves an explanation.”</p><p class="p1">„I figured there was a story between the two of you.”</p><p class="p1">„He was my mentor. Treated me like his daughter. I didn’t want to include him in this madness, but now it’s too late for that. I owe him an explanation. And since just sitting here would probably kill me, I plan to call him and pay him a visit.”</p><p class="p1">„You’re going to Haven?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. From what I’ve gathered the Division is not stationed there anymore because Paul threw them out.”</p><p class="p1">Paul snorted.</p><p class="p1">„I haven’t even met the guy but I already like him.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh, he would like you too. Maybe you should come with me. You could talk to him as well.”</p><p class="p1">„I would, but I’m planning to pay a visit to Dragov. We have some things to take care of.”</p><p class="p1">„Sure. Thanks anyway. I’m really hoping that we’ll finally get the chance to put our plan in motion.”</p><p class="p1">„So do I. Oh, one other thing - what about Marta and Blaze?”</p><p class="p1">„They let them go. After treating their wounds, at least. I doubt they’ll be coming back here though. The Division, I mean. They’re probably going to go after Keener and either find a new base of operations in New York or get out of here fully.”</p><p class="p1">Paul sighed. With the Division out of the equation all they had left to take care of was Keener.</p><p class="p1">And <em>damn</em>, didn’t he want the bastard to suffer.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">On her way to Haven Anna felt a little strange. It was weird to be coming back to a place she once called home but couldn’t come back to after all that happened. But Rhodes made it clear that it was safe now, that he kicked the Division out after their most recent showdown. She couldn’t blame him, to be honest. She would have probably done the same in his place.</p><p class="p1">She left as soon as Joaquin told her that Theo was out of surgery and that he was stable. His condition was very serious and he lost a lot of blood, but there was high chance he was out of the woods by then. When she heard Joaquin say that <em>he will most likely survive</em>, she couldn’t stop the tears from falling again. At first she was a little angry at herself for crying so much recently, but then she realized it didn’t really matter. She ultimately decided to brush the tears off as her body’s regular response to emotions and just let it go.</p><p class="p1">As soon as the gates to Haven opened she saw Paul Rhodes standing on the other side. He was wearing his usual baseball cap and the look on his face was stern as always, but also somehow soft. Seeing him after all this time suddenly made her want to run up to him and wrap him in a tight hug. Without much thinking she did just that, surprising him with the gesture.</p><p class="p1">„Whoah, hey,” he said, surrounding her neck with his arms in return. „I’m glad to see you too, kid.”</p><p class="p1">„I’m so glad that you’re fine, Rhodes,” she said, the sound muffled by Paul’s shirt pressing against her mouth. „I’m so sorry. I should have told you everything. I should have…”</p><p class="p1">„Hey,” he said, putting some distance between them to look her in the eyes. „It’s okay. You’re here now and it’s all that matters. Come on in, let’s get some tea. Are you hungry?”</p><p class="p1">Only then did she realize that she hasn’t eaten in more than twelve hours.</p><p class="p1">„Yes. Very hungry, in fact.”</p><p class="p1">„Good. Let’s eat first. We can talk later.”</p><p class="p1">„Okay.”</p><p class="p1">She followed him into the compound and one thing was clear above all else.</p><p class="p1">If Rhodes was still here, she could still call this place her home.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">„So you managed to find Keener because he lured you out?”</p><p class="p1">Rhodes and Anna were sitting in Rhodes’ office, drinking tea and talking. Haven’s chef forced Anna to eat a full serving of teriyaki chicken with rice and even though it was actually pretty good, it was probably a little too much. Sitting down luckily made her feel a little better.</p><p class="p1">„Yes,” she answered, enjoying the taste of mint tea for the first time in ages. „He wanted to lure me out to make sure I won’t interfere with the delivery Theo was planning for him. He knew I was onto him by then. He didn’t know how I was planning to go about it though, so he did it just to be safe I guess. The funny thing is he actually had to know how much time it would take me to get to any safe spot in the area because the robots and drones had to be ready nearby. Fucker was <em>smart </em>about this.”</p><p class="p1">„Bastard. I’m glad you managed to escape though. Was that when you called me?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. Sorry about that. I didn’t know who else to turn to.”</p><p class="p1">„No worries. I wish I could’ve helped more though. But you should have seen Lau’s face when I told them to get out of here. I wish I had it on video.”</p><p class="p1">Anna smiled.</p><p class="p1">„I can imagine. Anyway, I came to talk to you because I managed to make some friends along the way. And I think we all ultimately share the same goal. So I brought you this.”</p><p class="p1">With that, Anna handed a watch over to Rhodes. He eyed it suspiciously, but realized that it wasn’t SHD technology.</p><p class="p1">„What is that?”</p><p class="p1">„It’s a new watch. I remodeled it a little. Theo created a separate network that was piggybacking off of ISAC first, but we can separate it at some point. It’s much easier to use because we don’t have to follow the stupid government protocols. And I want you to have one.”</p><p class="p1">Rhodes put the watch on his wrist and turned it on, immediately going for calibrations and updates.</p><p class="p1">„Hello,” a robotic female voice came from the watch. „Identification complete. Paul Rhodes. Status: ally.”</p><p class="p1">„Wow,” Rhodes smiled, looking at the watch from every side. „Nice idea. Who is this lady though? Wasn’t it easier to just use a variation of ISAC?”</p><p class="p1">Anna involuntarily blushed at those words.</p><p class="p1">„It was, uh, Theo’s idea. The rogue network's AI is called ANNA. It’s the first step to the network’s independence.”</p><p class="p1">„Well well well. Is there something you’re not telling me?” Rhodes asked, looking at Anna with a smug grin. She blushed even more.</p><p class="p1">„I told you everything there is to tell, Rhodes.”</p><p class="p1">„Something tells me you didn’t.”</p><p class="p1">„Okay, maybe I didn’t. But there won’t be much to talk about if he dies. So I just… I don’t know. I’m not ready.”</p><p class="p1">Rhodes placed a hand on her arm then, smiling with consolation.</p><p class="p1">„Bring him here. As soon as he’s stable. We’ll take care of him. You know we have amazing medical support. Besides… I owe this to you. I feel like what happened was somehow my fault.”</p><p class="p1">„It wasn’t, Rhodes.”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah, I know, I know. But I still feel like it was. So this is the least I could do. Bring him here as soon as he’s fit to travel and we’ll take good care of him.</p><p class="p1">Anna looked at him then too, smiling softly and feeling a strange warmth surround her heart.</p><p class="p1">„Thank you.”</p><p class="p1">„Don’t mention it. Now back to this network. Why would you be using it?”</p><p class="p1">„There’s a plan to create an alternative to the Division. It was actually James Dragov’s idea. If we expose what we have on them, if we tell the world how the government has played SHD, the JTF and everyone involved, people would want something to turn to. We want to be it. We want to be a safe harbor.”</p><p class="p1">Rhodes smiled again, playing with the watch band.</p><p class="p1">„I get the sentiment,” he said after a while. „And I actually think it’s a really good idea. It won’t be easy, but if you have big players like Dragov in the game, it could actually work.”</p><p class="p1">„The Rikers have changed under his command. They just want to keep each other safe. There must be many more like that here in New York. We could use that. And use the network. And create a faction that could actually fight for the greater good. And I wanted to ask if you’re in.”</p><p class="p1">Rhodes nodded at that. Two weeks ago he would have shrugged it off, maybe even laughed at the concept. But something changed in him and even though he was old and filled with regrets, as Anna herself used to say, he was actually starting to think that fighting for a better tomorrow might work. Especially if you have a good agenda. And this, this here, this was a good agenda.</p><p class="p1">„Well, we’ll have to organize the details of course,” Rhodes sighed, rocking back in his chair and reaching for his cup of tea. „But we should be able to make it. Oh, and I have to meet this Dragov guy. But I can totally see Haven in the middle of all this. As soon as I make sure that it’s safe, of course.”</p><p class="p1">„Of course,” Anna smiled as well. She never even dared to hope that Paul might even me tempted by the idea. „I mean, having you in on this would mean the world to me. And to everyone else I guess. I just… never thought you’d be into an idea like that.”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah, neither did I. But thinking about what other options we have to survive here, this one seems to be the smartest. And it involves us working together again. So I’m in.”</p><p class="p1">Anna smiled and raised her cup of tea to toast to that idea. Rhodes gladly follower her lead and as soon as their cups clicked, she felt much calmer and much better about the entire concept.</p><p class="p1">Mostly because it didn’t feel like a concept anymore.</p><p class="p1">It felt like a promise.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Patience</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Patience, when did you become a stranger?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">A lot has changed in Anna’s room ever since she left Haven. Most importantly, all her equipment was gone. She was told that SHD redistributed it between other agents and the R&amp;D department. It wasn’t really hers to begin with, but she still felt a little irritated. They just assumed she wasn’t coming back and there was nothing Paul Rhodes could have done about it. Luckily they managed to bring some of her equipment from the Tombs and install it in the room. She couldn’t really focus on any actual work though and Rhodes himself told her to take it easy. Especially since it was also the room they placed Theo in for recovery and her mind was preoccupied with every single breath he took and every single twitch of his body.</p><p class="p1">He has been unconscious for a while now. Joaquin told her that it was normal given the amount of blood he lost and the procedures they had to perform. It was true that City Hall was well equipped, but they still had to make do with what they had and it wasn’t easy to keep him alive. The damage to the artery in his left leg was not simple to mend. The stab wound was even worse though - as soon as they removed the knife it started bleeding profusely, ultimately leading to him losing consciousness. It wasn’t easy to restore his blood levels in time. But after twelve hours of non-stop work Theo was finally stable. She was told that he needed rest and that it would be unwise to try and move him, but ultimately Joaquin agreed as Haven was a much better facility and had <em>actual </em>medical equipment and antibiotics. So Theo was now laying in her bed, hooked to a machine that monitored his heartbeat and to a mechanical ventilator to help him breathe. There was also an IV disappearing in the vein on top of his hand. Joaquin told her not to worry, told her that with the strain his body went through he would be out of it for a few days, but she still couldn’t stand it. So she would usually sit on the bed right next to him, watching his chest rise and fall with every breath he took, making notes in a medical journal they left with him. Writing <em>no change </em>for the tenth time in a row was very stressful though. Joaquin said that they couldn’t be sure Theo didn’t suffer any minor or major organ damage due to extensive blood loss. Luckily it was possible to check that in Haven and make sure that his internal organs were indeed fine.</p><p class="p1">„You sitting here is not going to make him wake up, you know,” Joaquin’s voice brought her back to reality as the man entered the room.</p><p class="p1">„I know,” she answered. „But I can’t focus on anything else right now. So I’m sitting here, making sure that he’s alive. I sometimes get a feeling that he won’t be if I don’t check. I know it’s stupid, I just can’t shake it.”</p><p class="p1">„It’s fine. Just make sure you’re well rested and taken care of as well. I don’t want to have to take care of the both of you.”</p><p class="p1">Anna smiled at that and Joaquin returned the smile. He was a much kinder man than she initially thought. She was really lucky to have met him along the way.</p><p class="p1">„And how are you? Everything okay?” She asked after a while.</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. I mean, Rhodes yelled at me for lying to him earlier, but ultimately he let me stay here too, so I guess we’re cool. They have good food here. I think I’m gonna stay for a while longer.”</p><p class="p1">He smiled at that, approaching Theo to check some of his vitals and take a blood sample for testing. Anna kept her gaze focused on Theo’s face. At least he didn’t look like he was in pain. If she didn’t know better, she would have assumed that he was asleep.</p><p class="p1">„What if he doesn’t wake up?” She asked suddenly, surprising even herself with this question.</p><p class="p1">„He will. He just needs time. He went through a lot. He has to rest now.”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah, but what if his organs fail? What if his lungs collapse? What if…”</p><p class="p1">„Hey, don’t think about it this way. The worst part is already over. It was bad, yes. But we managed to get him to safety in time. He will be fine. He just needs to rest.”</p><p class="p1">Anna nodded. Another thing she liked about Joaquin was that she knew he wouldn’t be lying about such a serious matter. He knew how much Theo meant to her. They never talked about it, but she knew that he did. So on one hand she really believed him. On the other, there was still this worry somewhere in the back of her head that made her panic from time to time.</p><p class="p1">„I know,” she said after a while. „I know what you’re saying is true. I just… I don’t know.”</p><p class="p1">„Well, if you didn’t sit here all the time you might be able to get these thoughts out of your head for a while. Come on. Let’s get something to eat. I’m starving and I heard there’s <em>cake </em>in the canteen today.”</p><p class="p1">„Wha- <em>cake</em>?!”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah. Interested?”</p><p class="p1">Anna stood up and was immediately ready to leave, but decided to place one more kiss on Theo’s forehead before they left. Joaquin smiled at that and urged her to follow him with a gesture of his hand. As soon as they arrived in the canteen they noticed Paul Rhodes and Paul Bosevi sitting at one of the tables, eating some kind of soup. Joaquin asked the chef for two servings of cake and together with Anna he joined their conversation.</p><p class="p1">„Hey there,” Rhodes said, looking at Anna and nodding at Joaquin. „We’ve just been talking with Dogman here and we’re going to meet with James Dragov tomorrow. I heard he’s in a pretty bad shape though.”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah, his legs were broken the last time we saw him and it’s probably going to be a while before he recovers fully,” Anna answered, swallowing a mouthful of chocolate cake. „But he’s still in charge of the Rikers and he still has incredible authority among them.”</p><p class="p1">„Good,” Rhodes said again, going through something on his tablet. „We could actually use some of his connections. Maybe we could work together to supply each other.”</p><p class="p1">„That could work,” Anna chimed in again, as if she just remembered something. „They have access to any type of materials you could imagine but they definitely need some technological expertise. When I was at their base I saw what their security systems look like. They were very poor, to say the least.”</p><p class="p1">„That could be good leverage during negotiations. But first I have to see what this Dragov guy is all about. I hope he’s not going to pull anything shitty.”</p><p class="p1">„No, he’s a jerk sometimes, but he genuinely cares about his people. Remember he took care of me as well.”</p><p class="p1">„That’s why I’m giving him a chance in the first place. Anyway, I think you should come with us.”</p><p class="p1">„That’s actually a great idea. Just let me know when you’ll be willing to leave.”</p><p class="p1">As soon as Anna finished the cake and poured herself some coffee she figured it might be a good idea to actually get some work done. She did have to go through some of the data she gathered recently.</p><p class="p1">She was also planning to see what eventually happened to Keener. She knew that the Division indeed went after him based on her intel. She was only able to trace the dispatch information though; they went into encrypted mode for the rest of the operation.</p><p class="p1">It was finally time to decrypt some logs and find out what they were up to.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Marta and Blaze were stationed in the Trinity Church together with most of the Division agents. Some of them were sent to other safe houses, but this one was the biggest and could possibly also hold the entire command.</p><p class="p1">The morale was really low at that point. Kelso and Lau didn’t take the entire confrontation with Rhodes very well; neither did Marta or Blaze. Especially since they were caught up in the middle of it all and honestly, what happened during the last few days gave them a lot to think about.</p><p class="p1">Marta was incredibly angry with how the entire situation was handled, especially since she felt like she herself was completely unimportant to SHD. No matter her great record, no matter the rank. They were still fine with using her for their own gain. It was the same with Blaze and she knew that he was disappointed with that as well. Paul Rhodes, on the other hand, seemed like an ally that genuinely cared about his friends. Marta will probably never forget what she felt that day, especially when Rhodes told them how much he trusted Anna. He was ready to put everything he had on the line because he <em>trusted </em>her. Even though she left him in the dark for so long. Marta has never seen that level of trust in the Division. Neither did Blaze.</p><p class="p1">She still couldn’t believe they let them go. Apparently Joaquin was right and it was also something she couldn’t stop thinking about. He actually wanted them to be <em>safe</em>. He disavowed the Division, but it didn’t mean turning against them. He was right when he said he was doing that to oppose the system. Marta should have listened to him then.</p><p class="p1">Hell, if other agents’ reasons to go rogue were similar she was probably on the wrong side all along.</p><p class="p1">„Don’t think about it too much,” Blaze’s words brought her back to reality. „You can’t help it, Marta. It’s over now. They went to get Keener and as soon as they do we can go back to DC. That’s all we were sent here to do.”</p><p class="p1">„How can you ask me that,” she snorted, obviously irritated. „Did you experience the same thing as me or did I just imagine you there?”</p><p class="p1">„You don’t have to be rude. I did. And I have a lot on my mind right now because of it. So I want to go back to DC and rethink everything that happened. I need to clear my head.”</p><p class="p1">She sighed and nodded. He was definitely right about that.</p><p class="p1">„Sorry. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I just… all that’s happened has really messed with my head.”</p><p class="p1">„I get what you mean. I’m sorry too. I’m just stressed, I guess. But as soon as they bring Keener in we’ll finally be able to put it behind us.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh yeah, I heard they were able to capture him?”</p><p class="p1">„They did. They’re probably bringing him in as we speak. Damn, I really wanted to be on this mission, you know. If Joaquin didn’t fuck my arm up I’ll probably be up there with them. I got…”</p><p class="p1">Suddenly Blaze’s communicator went off and, surprisingly, all the other communicators in the vicinity did as well. Marta sprung up immediately and took a look at her watch. Before she managed to listen to the message though an aggravated voice could be heard from the other side of the room.</p><p class="p1">„You have got to be <em>fucking kidding me</em>”!</p><p class="p1">As soon as Marta and Blaze opened the message their reactions were similar, but much less vocal.</p><p class="p1">They have just been informed that Faye Lau has turned against the Division and joined Bardon Schaeffer and the Black Tusk.</p><p class="p1">„Please tell me that it’s a very bad joke,” Blaze turned to Marta, his face suddenly pale.</p><p class="p1">„I’m afraid not,” Kelso was right behind them, anger on her face more obvious than she ever wanted to show. „This <em>fucking bitch </em>played us all. To think she had the <em>audacity </em>to do what she did during your last mission is… I don’t know. I don’t even have the words.”</p><p class="p1">„<em>You</em> don’t have the words?!” Blaze suddenly stood up, the grimace of pain on his face showing that he didn’t really think this through. „<em>You</em> don’t have the words. That’s <em>golden</em>. What are <em>we </em>supposed to say, Kelso? Fuck. This is a fucking <em>joke</em>. First she uses us, almost throws us under the bus, and now <em>this</em>? Any more revelations you want to spring on us?!”</p><p class="p1">Kelso approached him then, standing right in front of him and looking him in the eyes. She might have been smaller than Blaze, but her overall posture and the gaze she sent him made him sit back down immediately.</p><p class="p1">„Watch your tone, agent,” she said, her face dead serious. „You can be sure I’m just as mad about this as you are. But we can’t lose focus. We have Keener and we got him right before the Black Tusk managed to capture him. He’s going to pay for what he’s done. <em>And so is she</em>.”</p><p class="p1">Marta was dead silent during this exchange. She honestly had no idea what to say. What <em>could have </em>been said though? Nobody could have expected Faye Lau to turn her back against the Division. Her resolve must have been one of the strongest Marta has ever seen. But then again, what about the other rogue agents? Some of them actually <em>did </em>have a good reason to leave. Joaquin, for example. And Anna. Suddenly it occurred to her that she herself might have been in the wrong here. That she might not have questioned her orders enough. Hell, she never questioned them <em>at all. </em>And she knew that neither did Blaze.</p><p class="p1">„Let’s take a moment to calm down, shall we?” She said, trying to fake a smile. „We’re all exhausted, angry and disappointed. It’s not going to help if we keep jumping at each other’s throats.”</p><p class="p1">„You’re right,” Kelso said, the angry expression on her face softening a little. „I’m sorry. I have been a little… <em>on edge</em> ever since we came back. But I will never forgive myself for not noticing something sooner. Fuck, I spent so much time with her. I should have known.”</p><p class="p1">„None of us could have known,” this time it was Blaze who decided to speak up. „You know how secretive she was. She never let anyone in. I’m not surprised nobody noticed anything. The question is… what do we do now?”</p><p class="p1">Kelso sighed. It was a very drawn out and tired sigh.</p><p class="p1">„I have no idea, Blaze,” she said, sitting down on a nearby chair. „I have no idea.”</p><p class="p1">The worst thing, Marta realized, was that she was telling the truth.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">„You want to name it <em>what</em>?”</p><p class="p1">Anna, Paul Rhodes, Paul Bosevi and Dragov were in the Wall Street hideout, sitting around the very kitchen table Anna remembered so well, talking about some details regarding the faction they were planning to set up. James Dragov was feeling much better, but he had to use crutches to walk around the base. It didn’t make him any less intimidating though and she immediately noticed how respectful Rhodes was towards him from the very beginning.</p><p class="p5"><span class="s1">„Nova,” Dragov repeated, accentuating every single letter with a thick Russian accent. „Hey, it’s a great name, alright? I mean, we plan to be a beacon of hope or whatever. Nova is </span> <span class="s2">a star showing a sudden large increase in brightness and then slowly returning to its original state over a few months. It starts with a bang and then goes back to working in the shadows, supporting everyone from the background. It may not always shine the brightest but it’s always there. I don’t think you could come up with a better name, but I’m open for suggestions.”</span></p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">Anna looked over at her colleagues and shrugged. It was just a name to her. It didn’t really matter what it would be called. But since it was obviously a big deal to Dragov she was not going to complain. Besides, it’s not like she had a better idea.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„I think it’s fitting,” Dogman spoke first. „And I don’t have any better ideas anyway.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Neither do I,” Rhodes lifted his hands up in the air in a resigned gesture. „I don’t really care about the name to be honest. All I care about is how we organize this.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Great,” Dragov seemed very pleased with himself. „I actually gave it a lot of thought. I wanted it to be badass and smart. I’m glad you agree.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">Anna wanted to point out that they didn’t really agree but figured it might not be the best idea to start this discussion.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„So if we have that taken care of,” she said, placing her laptop on the table. „I just found out that Faye Lau has joined the Black Tusk.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„She <em>what</em>?!” Rhodes looked over at Anna, hoping to hear that she was joking.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Yeah. What I just said. As soon as Kelso and her team arrested Keener and brought him to DC for trial, she suddenly joined forces with Bardon. And she didn’t even make a secret of it. I think she wanted all of us to know.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„That complicates things,” Dragov sighed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. „Now we have Schaeffer <em>and </em>Lau to worry about.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„We do,” Rhodes admitted. „That fucking bitch. I knew she was out of her mind. It was just a matter of time before she would snap. Anyway, we have much more potential than the Black Tusk ever did. We have me and we have Anna. And Parnell, as soon as he gets better. But fuck, Faye Lau? Can’t say I’m surprised, actually. Now that I think about it, I’ve seen it coming for a while.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Speaking of Parnell, how is he?” Dragov’s expression suddenly turned from angry to concerned.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Stable,” Bosevi answered quickly. „Unconscious, but stable.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Fucking hell,” Dragov shook his head and whistled. „I’m sorry, cupcake. It must be hard on you.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„I manage,” Anna said, desperately wanting to change the subject. „So are we planning to operate from two separate locations or are we talking about one base of operations?”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„It could go both ways,” Dragov said, using his tablet to open a map of New York. „We can have one location as a supply center and the other as an operations center. Haven would be best for operations. Of course we can upgrade our base in time to be more fitting for either to these tasks. What I want to know though is how much of what we found out about SHD we’re going to disclose.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„We can’t just throw it all out there,” it was Bosevi’s turn to speak now. „We have to be careful about what we share with the public. And we need data to back it up so that SHD can’t brush it off.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Yeah. I want to know who we’re going to need. If we plan to create a network of connections and suppliers we have to be cautious about who we invite to join.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Let me worry about that,” Anna was fast to answer. „Apart from digging dirt on SHD I can also run comprehensive background checks. But we will have to distinguish between those we want to protect and those we want to work with.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Correct. We have to establish a process to…”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">Paul Rhodes was talking for a while after that, but Anna didn’t hear a word he said.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">She just received a message from Joaquin saying that Theo woke up.</span>
</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p7">
  <span class="s2">***</span>
</p><p class="p8"> </p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">Anna had to wait for the meeting to be over, but <em>damn </em>was it hard for her to sit still until the very end. The message was simple: <em>Theo woke up. He’s asking for you.</em> So little and yet so much it almost made her burst into tears right there and then. But she knew that they needed to see it through, so she made sure to participate to the fullest. She did let the team know what happened though. Dragov even said they had to drink to Theo’s recovery. She politely refused, but the guys were more than happy to down a shot or two.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">When they were finally back at Haven she didn’t even bother unpacking her backpack. All the blueprints and tablets she had in there were discarded by the door to her room as soon as she confirmed it with her own eyes. Theo was alive. He was there. Half lying, half sitting on the bed. Still hooked up to the IV and the heart monitor, but without breathing support. Weak, exhausted and incredibly pale. But alive.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">She would have ran towards him to pull him into a hug, but she didn’t want to hurt him.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Hey,” Theo said as soon as she entered the room, his voice coarse but vibrant in the exact way she remembered from before. „Long time no see.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">His words made her realize that she was still standing in the same spot, not moving, just looking at him. She smiled and took one step, then another. When she finally sat on the bed next to Theo she couldn’t believe that it wasn’t a dream.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„You’re alive,” was all she managed to say. She just couldn’t find the words to describe how she was feeling. Happy? Overjoyed? Ecstatic? Relieved? No words could describe the mix of emotions running through her head at the moment.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">Luckily she didn’t have to talk.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„I am,” Theo answered, smiling a little; mostly with his eyes though. „Joaquin told me what happened. He… saved my life.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„He did,” Anna said, glad for an anchor she could use in a conversation. „Do you want something to drink?”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„No,” he answered, moving his hand to touch hers. „I want you to stay. I want to be sure I’m not… dead. Or asleep. How long was I out by the way?”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Four days,” Anna said, moving closer and placing a hand on his cheek. He leaned into the touch, closing his eyes. „Four <em>fucking long and exhausting days</em>, Theo.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Sorry,” he whispered, eyes still closed. „But now that I’m here… I’m going to be wasting your time again.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Please do,” she whispered, moving even closer and embracing his shoulders to bring him in for a hug after all. „Please do and never stop.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">He buried his face in the crook of her neck, nuzzling the skin there with his nose. She had to be very careful to not irritate the fresh stitches on his ear. Wrapping her arms around him even tighter, she ran one of her hands through his hair. He was here. He was <em>really </em>here.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">She was not letting him go ever again.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">His arms were weak, yet he still managed to lift them high enough to tangle in the back of her shirt. He was warm. He was <em>alive</em>. She knew she had to be careful, but she wanted to squeeze him <em>hard</em>, to actually feel that solid weight against her body. For now though the slight touch of his nose and lips against her collarbone had to be enough. Running a hand through his hair had to be enough. </span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">But <em>damn</em>, it wasn’t enough.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">They stayed like that for a while, enjoying each other’s warmth and company. Anna didn’t even realize how much time has passed but she didn’t really care. All the stress, all the panic and all the anxiety was slowly leaving her, almost as if she finally arrived at the end of a long journey. She knew there were still things to do ahead of her, but this here, it felt so <em>right</em>. As long as she would be able to stay with <em>him</em>, there was nothing she couldn’t do.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">She finally pulled away from Theo, just far enough to touch his face again and place another kiss on his forehead. He closed his eyes and smiled.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„I was wondering if I imagined that,” he said as soon as she pulled away to look him in the eyes. „When you brought me to City Hall.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„You didn’t. Want another one?”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Yes please.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">Without much thinking she kissed his forehead again, this time lingering for a few more seconds. After that she went in to kiss the bridge of his nose and both of his cheeks.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„That was nice,” he smiled when she touched his forehead with hers.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Thank you. Now get some rest. I’m going to get you something to drink. I think Joaquin recommended warm almond milk. It should be good for your stomach… especially after having a <em>knife </em>in your abdomen.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Please don’t remind me,” his expression suddenly turned to painful. „I keep seeing the knife in my dreams. I just look down and… it’s <em>there</em>. I’ve never been so frightened in my life.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Neither have I. But it’s fine now. It’s going to heal just fine if you rest long enough.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„I will. Oh, and what about my ear?”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">Anna moved her head a little to take a look, touching Theo's jaw to turn his face to the right. The ear wasn't the prettiest thing she's ever seen, but she honestly couldn't care less. It was clean and it wasn't swollen, meaning that it will heal just fine if Theo doesn't accidentally irritate it.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Well, it was split in half, so there’s probably going to be a scar. But they stitched it up pretty clean.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Good. I wouldn’t want to look like Frankenstein.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Frankenstein was the doctor, not the monster.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Oh, come on! You know what I mean!”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">Anna laughed, running a hand through Theo’s hair again.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„I do. You look fine. Not even a bit less dashing.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">The blush that crept up Theo's neck at those words had to be one of the most adorable things Anna has seen in her entire life.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Whew. That’s good to know.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">„Now get some rest.”</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">With that, Anna helped him get more comfortable and stood up to leave and bring him something to drink.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">She couldn’t keep the happiness to herself though.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2">He was going to be fine.</span>
</p><p class="p5">
  <span class="s2"><em>They</em> were going to be fine.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Nova</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Meeting the right people at the right time makes all the difference one could hope for.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <em>4 WEEKS LATER</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">It was late in the afternoon and Paul was enjoying the time he could be spending outside, drinking coffee and finally being able to unwind for the first time in a while. He was glad to find out that the Rikers had a very good supply of coffee and that he was able to choose from five different blends. He couldn’t remember when was the last time he actually had an option to <em>choose</em>.</p><p class="p1">Snezhinka was laying on the ground right next to his feet, nudging his leg every once in a while and demanding attention. The old dog has somehow taken a liking to him and would now follow him around the base most of the time. It seemed a little funny to Paul though. Who would have thought that Dragov’s dogs would be the incentive that he would need to gain the man’s trust and, ultimately, friendship.</p><p class="p1">Sipping on his coffee he noticed said man approach from the base, still using a crutch to walk around. Dragov would never admit it but his legs were in a much worse shape than he tried to play it. He never complained about it though and tried to get back to his duties as soon as possible. Joaquin modified an orthosis for him, which ultimately allowed the man to only use one crutch. Unfortunately it was still unclear how long he would need to be recovering and if he will ever gain full mobility again.</p><p class="p1">„Good afternoon, you lazy bastard,” Dragov smiled and sat down next to Paul. „I see that Snezhinka is basically your dog now, eh?”</p><p class="p1">„What can I say,” Paul smiled and took a sip of coffee. „I kinda have that effect on dogs.”</p><p class="p1">„That why they call you Dogman?”</p><p class="p1">„That and the work I do. Thanks for letting me set up shop here, by the way. It’s a much better place for a veterinary clinic.”</p><p class="p1">„Don’t mention it. I’m in your debt anyway. I wouldn’t be able to do half the shit that had to be done here if it wasn’t for your help.”</p><p class="p1">„Nah. We’re a team now. It’s the least I could have done.”</p><p class="p1">Dragov smiled then, wrapping one of his arms around Paul’s shoulders and squeezing hard. The man almost spilled his coffee.</p><p class="p1">„Still. I’m glad to have you as a friend. How are those medical shipments coming along by the way?”</p><p class="p1">„Almost at Haven. The CPUs will be packed and brought here tomorrow. Anna is working on the systems as we speak and it’s the only delivery she needs to complete the upgrade. The Rikers have been a tremendous help with that. She should be done by the weekend.”</p><p class="p1">„Great. That will keep my people safe. I’m glad we managed to upgrade the security systems this thoroughly. It keeps my people in good spirits. Speaking of spirits… up for a drink?”</p><p class="p1">Only then did Paul notice that Dragov brought along a bottle of vodka and two shot glasses. He snorted.</p><p class="p1">„What’s the occasion?”</p><p class="p1">„There’s no <em>particular </em>occasion, but I believe we haven’t yet been able to drink to our success and to the fact that you basically became my second in command last week.”</p><p class="p1">„Come on. I’m not your <em>second in command.</em>”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah, that might not have been the right description. I treat you as an equal. The Rikers treat you like a leader too. So it’s only fitting we made it official.”</p><p class="p1">Paul turned his head a little and frowned.</p><p class="p1">„What are you talking about?”</p><p class="p1">„Hey, you know I haven’t been at my best recently. I need somebody to watch my back. And with Duchess gone… I would like it to be you.”</p><p class="p1">Paul blinked fast and looked Dragov straight in the eyes. He wasn’t joking.</p><p class="p1">„You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”</p><p class="p1">„Dead serious. There’s no person I trust more right now. And my dog trusts you. That speaks volumes.”</p><p class="p1">Paul laughed at that. It was true that he has been helping Dragov for the past weeks and that they have grown closer during that time. Paul could easily say that Dragov was the most unlikely, but the most welcome friend he made in his entire life.</p><p class="p1">„Sure,” he said after a while, reaching for one of the shot glasses that Dragov filled with a toothy grin on his face. „I mean, I’d be glad to help you out. If that’s what you want.”</p><p class="p1">„I do. But only if you want it too. I need a lieutenant. Second in command. Whatever you want to call it. But most importantly I need a friend. And you have proven to be one multiple times. So what do you say?”</p><p class="p1">Paul smiled and raised his shot glass. Dragov did the same.</p><p class="p1">„I’ll be honored.”</p><p class="p1">As their glasses clicked and as they downed the liquor in one swift motion, Paul thought that this was definitely not an outcome he expected, but one he gladly welcomed.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">„You’re sure you want to leave?”</p><p class="p1">Blaze and Marta were still in New York, taking care of some loose ends and making sure that all SHD equipment gets delivered back to DC in one piece. Marta volunteered and advised Blaze to do the same to help him clear his head. He had to admit that it actually helped. Not having to focus on missions for a while was a welcome distraction at this point.</p><p class="p1">„Yeah,” Marta answered Blaze’s question, putting down a box of vials she was holding. „I’ve been thinking about it a lot. There’s no place for me in the Division anymore.”</p><p class="p1">Blaze nodded. He understood. Hell, he kept thinking about the best course of action himself. But he couldn’t leave what he has sworn to protect. He couldn’t just walk away. Even though it did seem tempting at some point.</p><p class="p1">„So what are you going to do?”</p><p class="p1">„I already know that Nova will take me in,” she sighed, sitting down on one of the boxes. „Which is a good thing. I think they’re right about all this, Blaze. I mean, their ideals seem more appealing to me than SHD ever did. And they can help me find my sister and my niece.”</p><p class="p1">He nodded again. As much as he has made his mind up already, he knew that what Marta was planning to do was as good an option as any. Her faith in the Division has been broken beyond repair. They spent long hours talking about it and Blaze honestly couldn’t see her turning back to her old ways after all that has happened. Maybe it was for the better.</p><p class="p1">„You realize that you’ll be marked as a rogue agent?”</p><p class="p1">„I do. I don’t care.”</p><p class="p1">„Sorry,” he said immediately, surprisingly enough actually feeling sorry to might have offended Marta. „I didn’t mean to sound disrespectful or something. I’m just… worried. That’s all.”</p><p class="p1">Marta turned her face towards him and smiled.</p><p class="p1">„No need to worry. I can take pretty good care of myself. You should know that well enough.”</p><p class="p1">Blaze returned her smile.</p><p class="p1">„I do. You’re a very capable agent. Or individual.”</p><p class="p1">Marta giggled at that and placed her hand on Blaze’s shoulder.</p><p class="p1">„Thank you. You’re a very capable agent as well. Even though you can be infuriating at times.”</p><p class="p1">„Hey!”</p><p class="p1">„What? It’s the truth! Don’t worry though. I still like you. And I enjoyed working with you. Please promise me that you’ll be safe.”</p><p class="p1">Blaze smiled again. He liked Marta too. He was going to miss the missions he was sent on with her, even though he usually preferred to work alone.</p><p class="p1">„I will. And you?”</p><p class="p1">„Of course. I promise. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me.”</p><p class="p1">With that, she patted his shoulder lightly and stood up, picking up her backpack and putting it on before leaving the settlement. She didn’t look back and didn’t indulge Blaze with a goodbye glance. Maybe it was easier for her that way. Maybe it was easier that way for him as well.</p><p class="p1">Relaxing in his seat Blaze felt himself sink down a little, the strain he put on his muscles recently suddenly manifesting as a tingling sensation somewhere under his skin. He’s been following the information regarding Aaron Keener and according to his data the man was going to be kept locked away in DC. He was not sure what SHD was planning to do with him eventually but he believed some interrogation might be in order. He did claim to have friends in higher places. Then again, most of Keener’s „friends” Blaze was able to identify didn’t really want to have anything to do with the maniac. He was very curious as to what Keener might be able to tell them. Or what he will be trying to make them believe. Kelso said that she was going to need Blaze’s help making sure that Keener’s legacy and followers are brought to justice as well. Of course he had followers. Every crazy and charismatic leader did and there was no way to deny that Keener was both of these things. It was going to be a very busy time for SHD.</p><p class="p1">Ultimately, Blaze was going back to DC. He was going to finish the job; whatever job they throw at him. He’s already made up his mind and he was going to stay true to his ideals, true to what he swore to protect.</p><p class="p1">Even if it meant being lonely as fuck.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">„It’s nice to see you after all this time. I’m glad you’re okay.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin and Javier were sitting on a rooftop near Pathway Park, smoking cigarettes and looking at the streets below. Joaquin was glad to see that there was a lot of green sprouting from beneath the broken concrete. Javier seemed to follow his eyes and appreciate it as well.</p><p class="p1">„I am,” Javier answered, exhaling a puff of smoke. „I never thanked you for your help back then. You saved my sorry ass.”</p><p class="p1">„It wasn’t just me,” Joaquin answered, shoving a cigarette butt into an empty box he brought with him. „But I’m glad they didn’t get to you. They messed Dragov up pretty badly.”</p><p class="p1">„I heard. I’m glad they got Keener though.”</p><p class="p1">„They did. Eventually. But they almost killed Parnell in the process too.”</p><p class="p1">„Oh yeah, I got some word about it from the Rikers. He’s fine now though, right?”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah, we patched him up at Haven. I patched him up, to be precise. And speaking of patching people up, I wanted to meet with you to discuss the possibility of your aid for Nova.”</p><p class="p1">Javier tensed at those words. He was obviously not thrilled with the idea.</p><p class="p1">„<em>Aid</em>? What the hell are you talking about?”</p><p class="p1">„I know you don’t play well with others,” Joaquin reached for another cigarette and lit it up quickly, noticing Javier do the same. „But I’m setting up a specialized trauma unit. And a search and rescue team. I’m going to need the best people I can get. Most of them will be volunteers. But I immediately thought about you.”</p><p class="p1">Javier was silent. At first Joaquin thought that he simply didn’t want to answer the question and was trying to dismiss it, but taking one look at the man made him realize that he was actually deep in thought.</p><p class="p1">„I heard Nova might be a promising initiative,” Javier sighed, engulfing his own face in a cloud of smoke again. „But isn’t Paul Rhodes one of the founders?”</p><p class="p1">„That’s right. Him, Dragov and me are currently in charge of all operations.”</p><p class="p1">„He used to be JTF,” Javier said through gritted teeth. „Are you sure he’s a good leader?”</p><p class="p1">„I am,” Joaquin answered with a smile. „He’s an amazing leader. I mean, he has a temper, but that’s a good thing. He doesn’t take shit from anyone. He kicked the Division out of Haven, you know? I haven’t seen it, but I listened in on part of their conversation. It was madness. I think he’s exactly the person we need. And it would be great if you could think about it too.”</p><p class="p1">Javier nodded. Joaquin didn’t want to rush things, but he wanted to give the man something to think about. He knew Javier didn’t really have a purpose anymore. He also knew that deep down he also wanted to belong. Nova seemed to be a perfect option for an outcast like him.</p><p class="p1">„I will,” Javier sighed again, throwing a cigarette butt off the building and earning a frown from Joaquin. „Sorry. I forgot.”</p><p class="p1">„And people wonder how New York turned into one huge garbage pile,” Joaquin rolled his eyes. „Seriously, man.”</p><p class="p1">„I said sorry. Won’t happen again.”</p><p class="p1">„Yeah, right. Anyway, how about Nova? What do you think?”</p><p class="p1">„I honestly don’t know, man. It seems too good to be true. A unified group of outlaws working towards the greater good? Not to discourage you or anything, but are you sure that it’s going to work?”</p><p class="p1">„No, we’re not,” Joaquin sighed. There was no point trying to pretend if he wanted Javier on his side. „But we’re going to do our best. And hopefully help a few people along the way.”</p><p class="p1">There was a snort coming from Javier’s side.</p><p class="p1">„I don’t think I ever helped a single individual in my life.”</p><p class="p1">„I know you did,” Javier said to that. „When you were still in the Division. You helped many people.”</p><p class="p1">„Those were my orders, Serrano. I didn’t just decide that I was gonna be a good guy and walk around helping those in need.”</p><p class="p1">„Don’t brush it off as <em>orders</em>. I know what it’s like. You genuinely enjoyed helping them. The Division and the JTF treated you like shit and honestly, we all have that in common. But it’s different now. We have an alternative we can turn to. And if you decide to join, you will be able to shape it any way you want.”</p><p class="p1">Javier nodded at that. Joaquin’s words were obviously stirring something up inside of him.</p><p class="p1">„I can try,” he said after a while. „If it’s as good as you say it is.”</p><p class="p1">„It’s pretty adequate,” Joaquin sent him a smile and was surprised to see Javier return it. „We make do with what we have. But I wouldn’t be surprised if we ultimately grew into the largest faction in the US. We have the know how. We have resources. Now we need people.”</p><p class="p1">„Alright then. I’ll give it a try.”</p><p class="p1">Joaquin smiled again, but this time it was a much warmer and more sincere smile - something he has long forgotten that he could do.</p><p class="p1">„Okay,” he said, placing another cigarette butt in his box. „You’ll have to come to Haven for a briefing. We’ll be setting up the search and rescue team right next to it.”</p><p class="p1">„Fine,” Javier said, reaching towards Joaquin to place his cigarette butt in the box as well. It made Joaquin smile again. „Let’s see if we can make this place a little less fucked up then.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">Anna came back to Haven after nearly two weeks spent working on security systems in Dragov’s Wall Street base. She was exhausted and her brain was on fire. Circuits, whiteboards, cables, 3D printers, servos, soldering… speaking of soldering, she somehow managed to burn two of her fingers. She needed rest and she needed it badly. And she needed a shower.</p><p class="p1">It was late evening already and most of the regular Haven inhabitants were asleep, probably including Rhodes as well as she couldn’t see him anywhere. She noticed Joaquin talking to another man and smoking a cigarette. She waved at him with a smile as she entered the building and he flashed her a peace sign in return. Shower first. Food later.</p><p class="p1">She left her stuff in the lobby and went straight for the showers, not meeting a single soul on her way. It was good to finally have some peace and quiet. The Rikers were fun, but she never noticed how loud they were before. She could still hear a constant thrum in the back of her head and it was slowly driving her crazy.</p><p class="p1">After the shower she decided to go straight to her room. Putting on some dry clothes and picking up her bag, she started walking up the stairs, yawning. She wasn’t going to get a lot of work done but she could at least get into the search she promised Marta. Who would have thought that the woman would ultimately become one of their recruits. Anna wanted to help her. She genuinely seemed to be a good person.</p><p class="p1">When she entered the room, she noticed it was mostly dark save for one screen far in the back. She noticed Theo working on something, focused so hard that he didn’t even realize she entered the room.</p><p class="p1">„And you had the audacity to tell <em>me </em>that I’m a workaholic,” she said, standing right in front of his desk. The man looked up at her immediately and smiled, his face lighting up with what had to be the purest joy she's ever seen him display. Her heart skipped a beat at that and she smiled to herself as well. He was <em>so happy </em>to see her it made her feel <em>unreal</em>.</p><p class="p1">„You’re late,” he said, standing up to welcome her with a hug, the smile never leaving his face. „You were supposed to be here five hours ago.”</p><p class="p1">„I know,” she rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the irritating buzz that emerged under her skin when Theo hugged her but failing miserably. „But you know Dragov. He had to tell me about another crazy idea of his. Apparently he’s trying to design a <em>logo </em>for Nova.”</p><p class="p1">„That man is <em>insane</em>,” Theo laughed, moving closer to Anna again and reaching out to squeeze her hands. „I missed you.”</p><p class="p1">„I missed you too.”</p><p class="p1">Nevertheless, the smile on Theo’s face and the soft look in his eyes made Anna feel much better immediately. She really <em>did </em>miss him. Even though they would talk every single day and exchange hundreds of messages, nothing ever came close to <em>this; </em>to actually being able to have him next to her, to be able to <em>touch</em> him.</p><p class="p1">„It’s good to have you back.”</p><p class="p1">„It's good to <em>be </em>back,” Anna smiled again, unable to look away from Theo’s face, suddenly mesmerized by how long his eyelashes were. Why hasn't she noticed this before? „How are you by the way? How is your leg?”</p><p class="p1">„Fine. It doesn’t really hurt anymore. Joaquin still doesn’t allow me to put any strain on it though. So I mostly sit around. But it’s much better than two weeks ago. I can actually walk without any problems now.”</p><p class="p1">„Good,” Anna smiled again, feeling the strain and exhaustion leaving her body immediately; it was always like that whenever Theo was around. She can look for intel tomorrow. Now, she really needed to just <em>be</em> with Theo. „How about a match before we go to sleep?”</p><p class="p1">„Fuck yes!”</p><p class="p1">They moved to another part of the room and sat down by a table with an old <em>goban</em> Anna dug out from Paul Rhodes’ storage. They used to play together from time to time before she left Haven. Theo on the other hand often played <em>go</em> with his father when he was still a teenager. They took a container of stones each and started the match without a word. Anna could never find a more relaxing game and she was so happy to find out Theo enjoyed it too.</p><p class="p1">„I’m really glad you’re back,” Theo said after a while, currently on his seventh stone, looking up at her with a look of pure adoration that almost made her blush.</p><p class="p1">„What, I’m suddenly not distracting anymore?”</p><p class="p1">„Very funny. You’re still <em>very </em>distracting. I just learned to live with it.”</p><p class="p1">Anna laughed at that and moved her stone to surround one of Theo’s. She was surprised to have been able to do that so early in the game.</p><p class="p1">„Am I the reason you’re playing like a five year old today?”</p><p class="p1">Theo blushed at that, shrugging.</p><p class="p1">„Yes and no.”</p><p class="p1">„Care to elaborate?”</p><p class="p1">Theo sighed.</p><p class="p1">„Fine. Yes because I <em>really</em> missed you. Yes because I have been thinking about you every single day when you were gone. No because I’m still thinking how it was my fault that Keener found you.”</p><p class="p1">Anna blinked fast, surprised with what she was hearing.</p><p class="p1">„Theo, we talked about this. It wasn’t your fault.”</p><p class="p1">„It was. I should have known that he would put two and two together. I just… wanted to be cute, I guess. I thought you’d appreciate it. It was stupid and reckless.”</p><p class="p1">„I <em>do </em>appreciate it,” Anna smiled again, trying to reassure him somehow; she really <em>did </em>appreciate what he did, even if it ultimately made Keener find out about her and track her down. Honestly, it must have been the nicest and sweetest thing anybody has done for her in her entire life. „Theo, it’s fine. Really. It was a setback, yes, but I’m fine. <em>We’re</em> fine and we’re past this. And it <em>was </em>cute. Even if a tad cheesy.”</p><p class="p1">„Wha-<em>hey! </em>So Dragov can do cheesy and it’s fine but you’re making fun of <em>me?</em>”</p><p class="p1">„I wouldn’t dare,” Anna was almost laughing now. „God, you’re a fucking nerd.”</p><p class="p1">„Look who’s talking!”</p><p class="p1">It was so relaxing, so refreshing to be able to talk to Theo like this. To joke around, to play <em>go, </em>to have him at arm’s reach and to see the smile on his face. Whenever Anna would remember the state he was in just a few weeks ago, the feeling of <em>actually being scared of losing him</em>, she never wanted to be separated from him again. It’s true, she hasn’t been at Haven for the last two weeks. But something has changed. Theo was different somehow; almost as if he was avoiding her and wanted to spend time with her at the same time. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.</p><p class="p1">As soon as they finished playing she put the stone containers away and was almost ready to go to sleep. There was something in Theo’s eyes however that didn’t let her leave just yet.</p><p class="p1">„Are you alright?” She asked, approaching the man standing next to the table and looking him in the eyes. „You seem a little… weird. Weirder than usual. I’m worried.”</p><p class="p1">„No,” he answered fast, almost <em>angrily</em>. „No, I’m <em>not</em> alright! For fuck’s sake, you come back here after two weeks and you just… come up to me as if nothing’s ever happened, as if we haven’t seen each other for what, two hours? It was two weeks, two <em>fucking long weeks</em>! I’m <em>dying </em>to touch you. I missed you <em>so much</em>. I mean, I know I have to be careful because of <em>the knife </em>and all that shit, but I just… what if I-”</p><p class="p1">Anna didn’t let him finish; it suddenly occurred to her what she should have done a long time ago and what seemed <em>so right</em> just then. She wrapped her arms around his neck, stood taller on her toes and pressed her lips against his in a tender kiss. He was surprised at first, unable to comprehend if it was really happening or if it was his imagination playing tricks on him. But she was there, she was really there, lips pressing against his; he could feel her so close to him, so <em>warm</em>. Eyes fluttering shut, he brought Anna closer by surrounding her waist with his arms. He slowly melted into the kiss, more pliant under her touch with every passing second. When he parted his lips and let his tongue slide against hers, she followed his lead and bit his bottom lip affectionately before pulling away from him to breathe. Her head was spinning and it was so, <em>so hard</em> to focus.</p><p class="p1">„We should have done that a long time ago,” she whispered, resting her forehead against his.</p><p class="p1">„I agree,” he answered, still catching his breath. "Fuck, you have no idea how long I have been thinking about this."</p><p class="p1">„I think we…” she wanted to say something but Theo didn’t let her. He kissed her again, this time effectively making her brain short-circuit with the intensity of the kiss and with the burning passion he put into it.</p><p class="p1">She couldn’t pull away. She found it physically impossible to move even an inch away from Theo and the kiss. She tangled her hands in his hair, bringing him even <em>closer</em>, bumping her nose against his in the process. She didn’t care in the slightest; her mind and body were completely overwhelmed with emotions, with the need to have Theo as close as possible.</p><p class="p1">„Theo,” she whispered as soon as they pulled away from each other to breathe again.</p><p class="p1">„I’m here, Anna,” he answered, placing a hand on her cheek and kissing a slow line down her neck just to come back to her lips a moment later. „I’m here.”</p><p class="p1">„I was so scared,” she breathed out between kisses. „I was so scared that I could’ve lost you.”</p><p class="p1">„I know,” he answered, kissing the bridge of her nose and making her shiver at the contact. „But I’m here now. And I’m fine. And I’m not going anywhere.”</p><p class="p1">„Good,” she breathed into his lips before giving in to another kiss.</p><p class="p1">She wanted to say more, the overwhelming mix of emotions suddenly making her much more talkative, but ultimately decided against it. There will be time to talk. Now, however, she just wanted to <em>be</em>. To be in this moment, locked in an embrace with Theo, kissing him breathless to try and make up for the lost time they were lucky enough to get back.</p><p class="p1">She wouldn’t have traded it for anything else.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">***</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p1">It was just after sunrise when Paul Rhodes decided to make himself some tea and take some downtime outside of Haven’s main building to watch the sun reflect in the surrounding glass windows. Everything has been going according to plan and honestly, he was not used to this - he was sure that something was going to break, something was going to fail and the illusion would shatter before his very eyes. Nothing like that happened though. The partnership with Dragov was a great idea, flooding Haven with supplies they’ve never even dared to think about before. Anna was here and she immediately got back to work, helping him with things he never had time to take care of but needed to do anyway. And Theo? He was a golden kid. So smart and so eager to help them. Rhodes was no longer surprised Anna hit it off with him. They were so similar it was scary at times.</p><p class="p1">He leaned against the guard-railing on top of the stairs and just looked, smiling to himself and taking a sip of tea. This place in Haven must have been his favorite. It reminded him of a porch in his parents’ house; a little elevated, with a nice view. Or a balcony. Nevertheless, he tried to repeat his little ritual every morning he had time to do so. It calmed him down, filled him with energy for the next day.</p><p class="p1">„Mornin’”, he suddenly heard a voice coming from behind. Anna was there, wearing an oversized hoodie, hair still a little messy from sleep. She was carrying her own cup of tea. Of course she knew he would be here.</p><p class="p1">„Hey there,” he smiled, moving away a little to make some space for her. „What are you doing up at this hour, huh? You used to be quite a late sleeper.”</p><p class="p1">„I, uh,” she said, taking a sip of her tea. „I couldn’t sleep. Too much on my mind.”</p><p class="p1">„Did something happen?”</p><p class="p1">„Yes. No. I don’t know.”</p><p class="p1">Rhodes snorted a little at that. She will be the death of him one day.</p><p class="p1">„Please tell me he treats you right.”</p><p class="p1">„Who?” Anna seemed genuinely puzzled. It always amused Rhodes how she was supposedly so smart but completely oblivious to some innuendos.</p><p class="p1">„Theo. He looks like a good kid but you never know. So?”</p><p class="p1">Anna sent him a glare and took another sip of her tea.</p><p class="p1">„He’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” she said after a while, seemingly surprised by her own words. „Right after you, of course. But, uh… it’s kinda different.”</p><p class="p1">„Jesus Christ,” Rhodes couldn’t stop his laughter then. „I don’t want to know the details. But hey, I’m glad to be such an important figure for you.”</p><p class="p1">„I never told you that,” Anna spoke after a moment of silence. „But I think you need to know this. You are the most important person in my life, Rhodes. I’m sorry I put you through all this shit.”</p><p class="p1">„Worth it,” Rhodes lifted his mug as if he wanted to imitate a toast, trying to hide how much her words actually moved him. „Totally worth it if what you’re saying now is true.”</p><p class="p1">„It is. I’ll never make that mistake again. I’m glad we had a chance to set it all straight.”</p><p class="p1">„Me too,” he sighed audibly, going for his tea again. „You know, for a while I actually couldn’t help but think that it was the end. Keener was going to succeed, we were going to die, you left and there was no way to get in touch with you. There was a moment I wasn’t sure I’ll ever see you again. And it was the worst and darkest moment in my life.”</p><p class="p1">Anna placed a hand on Rhodes’ arm, smiling gently.</p><p class="p1">„I’m glad this moment is in the past then,” she said after a while. „I mean, look at what we’re building here. Nova. Haven. Our partnership with Dragov. Together with Theo we will finally have time and resources to start exposing all the shit and the lies SHD has been up to. And the best part is, those disappointed have a place to go to now. It’s going to be a fucking <em>bomb</em>, Rhodes. But honestly, I can’t wait to let people know what we know.”</p><p class="p1">Rhodes nodded. She was right. It was going to be a bomb that will probably destroy the balance as they knew it. Probably push SHD into the shadows. He doubted they will be dismantled; there was no way for that. But the government will have to try a lot harder to justify the use of Division agents. People were not going to make it any easier for them.</p><p class="p1">And neither were they.</p><p class="p1">„You’re right,” he said after a while. „I can’t say I haven’t been waiting for this day for a while now. SHD needs to be exposed for all the shit they did. Hell, they should have been exposed a long time ago.”</p><p class="p1">„Patience is a virtue,” Anna sent him a smug grin. „We’re prepared now, both for the fallout and the consequences. It took time, yes. But I believe we’re on the safe side now.”</p><p class="p1">Rhodes looked up, noticing the morning light reflecting off the glass to his left. It sent dancing flicks of light to the street, making it look lively. He smiled to himself.</p><p class="p1">Everything was good.</p><p class="p1">And this was just the beginning.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>END OF PART 1</em>
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  <em>All chapter titles come from very particular songs. You can find the playlist <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2aei2vPoGrq1QU6iYw3EVc?si=OP6NCSL1T3mExelkWgHHXw">right here</a>!</em>
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